ERIC Number: EJ958564
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1360-3116
EISSN: N/A
Attitudes of Teachers and Headteachers towards Inclusion in Lebanon
Khochen, Maha; Radford, Julie
International Journal of Inclusive Education, v16 n2 p139-153 2012
In the Arabic region, the drive towards inclusive practices in mainstream schools is at a relatively early stage, although, in Lebanon, the recent initiative of the National Inclusion Project (NIP), a project managed by a consortium of four organisations aimed at addressing the exclusion experienced by people with a disability, has the potential to promote rapid change in provision. This study explores the attitudes of teachers and headteachers towards people with a disability in mainstream primary schools in Lebanon, a middle-income Arab country. A mixed method approach was used to collect data. Forty teachers from mainstream schools within the Project completed questionnaires, and key headteachers as well as the consortium managers were interviewed. The sample was purposively selected in order to examine the attitudes of participants with previous experience of students with disabilities. In general, the findings indicate positive attitudes towards the inclusion of students in mainstream schools. However, participants expressed reservations about including all students, especially those with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. Further challenges include limited training, availability of qualified specialist teachers and the high cost of supporting inclusion. These findings will inform future research, as more studies regarding the implementation of inclusive education in the Middle East are warranted. (Contains 2 tables and 2 notes.)
Descriptors: Inclusion, Disabilities, Questionnaires, Foreign Countries, Attitudes toward Disabilities, Student Attitudes, Teacher Attitudes, Accessibility (for Disabled), Mainstreaming, Mixed Methods Research, Interviews, Performance Factors, Barriers, Administrator Attitudes, Special Needs Students, Educational Practices, Educational Attitudes, Educational Policy, Educational Environment, Educational Development
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Lebanon
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A