Abstract:
This research sought to examine South African teachers’ attitudes toward the inclusion of learners with
different abilities in their hypothetical mainstream classrooms. Participants were 93 South African teachers
who responded to the Teachers’ Attitudes and Expectations Scale, a measure developed for this study,
regarding four vignettes depicting learners with different types of impairments. Overall, teachers reported
that inclusion would benefit learners’ social development (mean scores from 2.57 to 3.35) more than their
intellectual development (mean scores from 2.14 to 2.83). It also was found that teachers overwhelmingly
were more confident about including learners with Down syndrome into their hypothetical mainstream
classes when compared to the inclusion of learners with other disabilities F(3, 90) = 9.59, p < .01. The
results suggest that providing teachers with sufficient resources within the classroom and training that
includes hands-on experience with children with disabilities could positively influence their attitudes
toward the inclusion of learners with disabilities in their classrooms.
