Student teachers’ attitudes to inclusion: implications for Initial Teacher Education in Northern Ireland

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Student teachers’ attitudes toinclusion: implications for InitialTeacher Education in Northern IrelandJackie Lambe a & Robert Bones ba School of Education , University of Ulsterb School of Psychology , University of Ulster , Coleraine, UKPublished online: 03 Jun 2010.

To cite this article: Jackie Lambe & Robert Bones (2006) Student teachers’ attitudes to inclusion:implications for Initial Teacher Education in Northern Ireland, International Journal of InclusiveEducation, 10:6, 511-527, DOI: 10.1080/13603110500173225

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International Journal of Inclusive EducationVol. 10, No. 6, November 2006, pp. 511–527

ISSN 1360–3116 (print)/ISSN 1464–5173 (online)/06/060511–17© 2006 Taylor & FrancisDOI: 10.1080/13603110500173225

Student teachers’ attitudes to inclusion: implications for Initial Teacher Education in Northern IrelandJackie Lambea* and Robert BonesbaSchool of Education, University of Ulster; bSchool of Psychology, University of Ulster, Coleraine, UKTaylor and Francis LtdTIED117305.sgm10.1080/13603110500173225International Journal of Inclusive education0000-0000 (print)/0000-0000 (online)Original Article2005Taylor & Francis Ltd00000000002005JackieLambeRoom B113, School of EducationUniversity of UlsterCromore RoadColeraineBT52 [email protected]

With the imminent passing of the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Act (SENDA) intolaw in Northern Ireland, along with changes to the curriculum and the planned move away fromacademic selection for post-primary pupils in 2008, the education system in Northern Ireland isabout to embrace radical change. Inclusion has now become one of the most pressing educationalissues both nationally and internationally. As we move to address such change, there is a recognitionthat Initial Teacher Education (ITE) must review how new teachers are trained so they areequipped to teach effectively in classrooms that may be very different from their own learningexperience. This paper focuses on a research project undertaken at the University of Ulster thatconsiders student teachers’ attitudes to inclusion before their first teaching practice experience.While the findings reveal evidence of support for the philosophy of inclusion and for inclusivepractices generally, they also show that many young teachers still show a strong attachment to, andbelief in, traditional academic selection as a preferred education model

Introduction

Over the past two decades, there has been a common drive by international govern-ments towards inclusion as a model for education. This has been supported bynumerous directives concerned with human rights and inclusion (The Declaration ofChildren’s Rights, 1386/1959; The Declaration of Disabled People’s Rights, 3447/1975; The Salamanca Statement for Special/Inclusive Education: A Framework forAction: UNESCO, 1994). In the UK, the publication of the Warnock Report(Department of Education and Science, 1978), suggested that the term ‘specialeducation’ should be extended, and recommended that most pupils with specialeducational need should be provided for in mainstream, schools, with the notion that

*Corresponding author: Room B113, School of Education, University of Ulster, Cromore Road,Coleraine BT52 1SA, UK. Email: [email protected]

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512 J. Lambe and R. Bones

‘special educational needs’ should replace the different categories of disability orhandicap.

Before the Education Act 1981, the UK ‘confined large numbers of children andyoung people to segregated schools away from their peers and local communities’(Armstrong et al., 2000, p. 2). This system has been challenged (Ainscow et al.,2000) because ‘At the heart of the idea of inclusive education lie serious issuesconcerning “human rights”, “equal opportunities” and “social justice”’ (Armstronget al., 2000, p. 62). Jelly et al. (2000, p. 17) assert that mainstream schools can nolonger allow policies and structures to cater only for the needs of certain pupils,thereby excluding others with special educational needs, and must provide ‘an evermore effective education for an ever more diverse range of learners’. The recentdocument ‘Removing Barriers to Achievement’ (Department for Education andSkills, 2004) setting out the UK government strategy for Special Educational Needs(SEN) articulates a clear commitment to inclusive education and offers a compre-hensive overview as to how this strategy is to be employed over the next decade.One of its guiding statements was the expectation that every teacher would teachSEN and that, ‘we must ensure that they are equipped with the skills to do so effec-tively’. Legislation has provided a legal framework for this strategy. The SpecialEducational Needs and Disability Act (SENDA) came into effect in the England,Scotland and Wales in September 2002 and removed the previous exemption ofeducation from the Disability Discrimination Act (1995) and it ensures thatdiscrimination against students with Special Educational Needs is unlawful. Schoolsfor example, have a, ‘duty to educate children with special educational needs inordinary schools’ (SENDA 2001).

Within the National Curriculum (for England and Wales) itself (DfEE/QCA,1989), there is also a statutory inclusion statement, ‘Inclusion: providing effectivelearning opportunities for all pupils’ which sets out for schools and Local EducationAuthorities, three clear principles for developing an inclusive curriculum that include;setting suitable learning challenges, responding to pupils’ diverse learning needs, andovercoming potential barriers to learning and assessment for individuals and groupsof pupils.

Education in Northern Ireland 2005

Because of its complex constitutional history, the Northern Ireland education systemand its administration has differed the rest of the UK. Though the partition of Irelandin the 1920s meant that Northern Ireland remained part of the UK, from that timeuntil the end of the 1960s it was in many respects self-governing. In spite of havingelected members of parliament with voting rights within the UK parliament, it alsoretained its own elected government that allowed for independent powers of legisla-tion and policy making. The structure of this system was shaped largely by the Educa-tion Act 1947 in Northern Ireland and mirrored the Butler Education Act 1944 in therest of the UK, and adopted an academically selective examination for placing pupilsin post-primary schools that became known as the ‘eleven-plus’. Up until this time,

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Student teachers’ attitudes to inclusion 513

most children experienced only primary education. A minority went to secondary(grammar) schools with access to them only by paying fees or winning one of thelimited scholarships available.

The Education Act opened opportunities to a wider audience of young people andmade access to grammar school places available through academic selection. Whilesome fee paying continued, it was beginning of a kind of meritocracy based onacademic selection in education in Northern Ireland. However meritocratic, it wasnot an inclusive system and pupils not deemed fit for an academic education generallyleft school aged around fourteen. Those with SEN had no specific entitlement toeducation and, depending upon the severity of their need, would have been consid-ered the responsibility of the health services rather than the education service. Duringthe 1960s, while the rest of the UK adopted a comprehensive educational system,Northern Ireland chose to retain academic selection. Since the full governance of theprovince was returned to the UK parliament, legislation passed in the rest of the UKis eventually adopted in Northern Ireland and, while the rest of the UK has embracedgovernment policy towards inclusion, Northern Ireland has again tended to followrather than to lead.

Post-primary provision in Northern Ireland

At present, the Transfer Test at the end of Key Stage 2 (ages 8–11) requires pupils totake two one-hour tests specifically examining Mathematics, English and Scienceknowledge. These are graded into six categories (A, B1, B2, C1, C2 and D) and,depending on the test results the pupils are currently placed in what is considered themost appropriate post-primary schools, either grammar or non-grammar. Previousachievements, school reports or abilities in other areas of the statutory curriculumhave no bearing on these results, and have little influence on which school the pupilwill attend for Key Stages 3 and 4 (ages 11–16). Approximately 30% of these pupils(those with the higher grades), will attend a grammar school where academic achieve-ment is the overriding feature of the school ethos (DE, Northern Ireland, 2004). TheTransfer Tests are not compulsory and only those pupils whose parents wish them tobe considered for a grammar school place need to be entered, while those who havestatement of special educational need are not entered for the test (Northern IrelandStatistical, 2002).

Because of these arrangements at age eleven, the issues relating to inclusiveschooling are problematic, as the principles of inclusion are at odds with an academ-ically selective system. It has however, served some of the population very well withmore students with qualifications at the top end of the achievement scale than inEngland (DE (NI), 2004). Nevertheless, at the other end of the scale, the averageperformance of pupils is lower in Northern Ireland than in England and, in theProgramme for International Student Assessment (PISA) (Schleicher & Tamassia,2000) which assessed the ability of 15-year-olds from 32 countries, the gap betweenthe highest and lowest scores in Northern Ireland was amongst the widest of thoseparticipating.

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In response to this there have been recent developments within educationincluding a large-scale revision of the current curriculum led by the Council for theCurriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA, 2001). A number of reportsdealing with the issue of post-primary provision (Department of Education (NI),2001; Department of Education (NI), 2004) indicate that very radical changes werenecessary to ensure that all pupils receive a more equitable educational experience.In Northern Ireland, the Special Education and Disabilities Act (2001) (SENDA) isat present out for consultation and the likelihood is that it will be adopted for imple-mentation here in the very near future bringing the province fully in line with the restof the UK.

Before the Education (Northern Ireland) Reform Order (1989), children with avariety of special educational needs were likely to have been taught in special schools.Today though, many of these children are now educated within mainstream schools,and the vast majority of these pupils (70%) are taught in the non-selective schoolsector. Schools with larger numbers of pupils with special educational needs may havea learning support class or special unit within the school were some pupils are taughton a full-time basis and others with re-integration as far as possible into regular class-rooms. While hardly in keeping with the spirit of inclusive schooling, this has been themain mode of response to date. With the imminent passing of SENDA into law, thechanges to the curriculum, and the reorganization of post-primary education, therecan be no doubt that inclusion is now one of the most pressing educational issues inNorthern Ireland.

Northern Ireland and the inclusion agenda

Slow adoption of change is not uncommon for countries like Northern Ireland whoare emerging from long periods of internal conflict. While it is not the purpose of thisresearch to be a comparative study of how educational systems develop within belea-guered nations, there is one aspect that appears common to all. The behaviour of anysuch state, whether the power is held by Afrikaners in South Africa, or Unionists asin Northern Ireland, shows one particular similarity. They tend to be highly conser-vative regimes that are rigid in clinging to known practices (Leach, 1989, p. 150).Outside influences are likely to be viewed with suspicion, while change of any kind,tends to be resisted. The end of the apartheid system in South Africa opened the doorto international influence and with it came the move towards inclusive education. InNorthern Ireland the conflict affected an end to many years of what could be consid-ered self-government (as far as education was concerned), and a return of these powersto the parliament at Westminster. This and the influence of wider European law havehelped create a ‘change culture’ within education that had not previously existed.

For many years the population of Northern Ireland has remained overwhelminglyindigenous and unable to grow into a more multicultural society as other parts of theUK have done. The troubled situation tended to inhibit international visitors, and tooffer less incentive to the possibility of encouraging economic migrants than otherareas.

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With a more peaceful and stable society, this is changing and there has been asteady growth in the population of those from a wider range of cultural and racialbackgrounds than ever before. At the beginning of the 21st century the Chinesecommunity are now ‘the largest minority ethnic group in Northern Ireland’(Watson & McKnight, 1998). Currently there are more people in Northern Irelandwho use Cantonese as their first language than those who claim Irish as theirs. Thisalso presents challenges for the education system as it moves towards inclusiveschooling.

What then could inclusive education mean for Northern Ireland? It could simplybe the integration of SEN pupils using new methods, or could it be a means to ‘recasteducation from the ground up’ (Pugach, 1995). The former can be seen as an addi-tive model of inclusion where change comes from within the already confirmed SENpractice. Already there is a growing belief that the role of the special school willchange so as to develop stronger links between themselves and mainstream schools.This might be seen as an acceptable model within present school environments wheremodification and adaptation of the existing curriculum would be routinely used toaccommodate difference. Specialist support would be of a peripatetic nature. SomeSEN units that are attached to a mainstream school already use this approach. Morecynically, it could then be seen as less of a new initiative and more of a ‘misleadingveneer for old special education practices’ (Slee 1996, p. 29). In contrast however,might be offered a vision of a more generative model of inclusion as a means of trans-forming thinking on the whole concept. Existing school systems and curricula wouldnecessitate redesign in a much more complex and extensive way. Schools would notsimply point to their inclusion policy as evidence of change. Inclusion would, instead,be seen as part of a total rethink about what it means to educate all children in parallelwith coordinated curriculum and social reform (Pugach, 1995). Despite the proposedremoval of academic selection by 2008, and extensive debate amongst educationalplanners, no definitive decision yet has been made as to which model of inclusion willbe adopted in Northern Ireland.

The challenge for Initial Teacher Education

A more inclusive educational system will, however offer an enormous challenge tothose who are responsible for Initial Teacher Education (ITE). Since the adoption ofthe Code of Practice on the Identification and Assessment of Special EducationalNeeds (1998), student teachers are more likely than ever to face the challenge inclassrooms of teaching pupils whose learning activities are monitored through anindividual Education Plan (EP). They will therefore, need to be equipped to deal withpupils with a range of special educational needs, including a variety of health condi-tions and sensory impairment, physical disability, or those with varying levels ofemotional and behavioural problems, or pupils who belong to travelling communitiesor to whom English is a second language

In addressing this challenge there will be a need to take account of the quality andappropriateness of the present provision within ITE in Northern Ireland. The Chief

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Inspector’s report (DE, 2003) highlighted inclusive education and improved provi-sion for SEN as current issues for mainstream schools, particularly at post-primarylevel and questioned whether the current arrangements for ITE, Induction andContinuing Professional Development (CPD), were sufficient to meet present andfuture demands. In the more recent report of a survey on the inclusion of pupilswith SEN in mainstream classrooms (DE, 2005), the Education and TrainingInspectorate (ETI, 2005, p. 5) stated that:

The findings of this inspection survey indicate the need for the fundamental review of in-service, and initial teacher education (ITE), focusing on the extent to which the coursesdeal with special needs’ issues. Such a review should bring forward recommendationsrelated to supporting the increasing needs of teacher in mainstream schools.

Because of the history of academic selection many teachers, in particular those inselective schools, have little experience of teaching children with complex specialeducational needs. Those entering ITE programmes in Northern Ireland (whetherembarking on a Bachelor of Education or a PGCE) are likely to be products of thepresent highly selective system, and are largely (though not exclusively) drawn fromthe more academic grammar school sector. It is likely that they have been educatedin classrooms where they had little exposure to pupils with even very mild learningdifficulties, yet the changes that have already been set in motion will ensure govern-ment expectations that, ‘Every teacher should expect to teach children with SEN’(Department for Education and Skills, 2004). Attitudes of student teachers towardsinclusion and perceived training needs can have important implications for the devel-opment of ITE programmes as, in addition, fan the attitudes of the teacher trainersthemselves. Better understanding can inform any rationalization that may be requiredin preparation for a radically changing educational environment.

Initial Teacher Education in Northern Ireland

Until very recently, the model for training student teachers has had a common formatrecognizable in most of the programmes offered throughout the UK and Ireland.These are generally a four-year BEd programme or a one-year full-time Post-Gradu-ate Certificate (PGCE) which combine block periods of practical, school-basedteaching experience with periods of face-to-face academic and vocational study in anHEI. The combination of practical workplace experience and reflective academicstudy has been seen as the best method of producing a competent classroom practi-tioner, in that, it offers the student teacher the opportunity to integrate theory andpractice effectively within a short and intensive one year training programme. Duringthe PGCE year, the placements serve to offer the student teacher real-life experienceas a practising teacher within a school. This can be as a primary school teacher or asa subject specialist within a relevant department in a post-primary institution. Allstudent teachers during the PGCE year in Northern Ireland are assessed against arange of competences. In effect, by the end of the year students will be deemed eithercompetent or not competent to pass on to the induction phase of the process. While

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there are 92 competences (under review), only five specifically relate to what mightbe called inclusion issues. In this respect, those completing ITE are expected to showcompetence in the following areas:

3.3. Demonstrates awareness of individual differences among children — the unique-ness of each child — the needs that arise from them.

3.4. Takes account of pupil’s diversity of talents.3.5. Is able to recognize pupils’ special needs and provide appropriately for these.3.6. Takes account of cultural differences among children.3.32. Demonstrates the ability to devise, implement, monitor and review individual

education plans for each stage of the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice.

(Department of Education for Northern Ireland, 1998)

As far as developing skills in working with SEN or within a more inclusive classroomis concerned there is no common approach and HEIs, while cooperating on manylevels, are free to offer the provision for SEN training considered appropriate to theirown student teachers. To ensure that those completing ITE are adequately preparedto teach in an inclusive classroom, there is a growing recognition that a review of thecompetences is needed alongside better and more coordinated provision for SENwork for all student teachers.

The move away from academic selection, while much debated, is to be implementedin 2008 (Department of Education (NI), 2004) and will be the most radical changethe system has ever experienced. After many years of reform and review, the curricu-lum itself is about to become much more skills-based than ever before. Teachers’attitudes towards their role in meeting the needs of pupils with diverse learning needswill be a key factor in the successful implementation of a more inclusive system(Carrington 1999). There may now be real opportunities if the will is there for theprovince to develop a more generative and far-reaching model of inclusive schooling.Hargreaves (1993) asserts that it is the teacher who will ultimately make the differencein any educational change. The attitudes of those entering ITE programmes towardsinclusion, and their own perceptions of training needs have important relevance to anyfuture provision. This study set out to discover the attitudes to inclusion of those aboutto embark on ITE in Northern Ireland.

Methods

Participants

The population consisted of the 2004–05 cohort of student teachers enrolled at theUniversity of Ulster for the award of PGCE (post-primary). They were studying eightsubject areas including, Art and Design, English, Geography, History, HomeEconomics, Music, Technology and Design and Physical Education. With the excep-tion of English, the University of Ulster has sole responsibility in the province fortraining all student teachers in the other seven subjects in the curriculum. The grouptherefore represented almost 50% of all students studying for a post-primary PGCE.It was decided to focus on those training for the post-primary sector because of the

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history of selection, it is here that developing inclusive practices have been seen asmost problematic.

Instrument

The approach to the study was quantitative and involved the design of a survey. Themain objective was to discover students’ attitudes to a range of inclusion issues inadvance of their first teaching experience. Early in the PGCE, class discussionsbetween the students and subject tutors during teaching sessions that explored beliefsabout the purpose of schooling (part of the introductory programme), had yieldedseveral themes including:

● beliefs about the purpose of schools and attitudes towards organizational issueswithin teaching;

● concerns or anxieties about teaching within an inclusive educational classroom;and

● personal beliefs and attitudes towards the ideology of inclusive education.

Because these were themes of major importance to the future of education in NorthernIreland it was decided to construct a survey in order to obtain more detailed informa-tion about student attitudes to them. The survey contained 27 statements relatingclosely to the issues elicited from the discussions and allowed three types of response:‘agree’, ‘disagree’, ‘don’t know’.

Once the initial survey was developed, it was piloted by a panel of professionals andacademics working in the area of inclusion. These included a psychologist, twouniversity lecturers and a school SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator).Some refinement of the survey was completed using their feedback before beingadministered. As well as measuring attitudes the Formic Data Capture software usedin the analysis of the questionnaire allowed other factors such as gender, age andexperience of selective or non-selective schooling to be considered. The survey wasanonymous and the students were informed as to the purpose of the research inadvance of completing the survey. This information was also repeated in writing atthe start of the survey.

Procedure

As a prerequisite to completing the researcher-administered survey the students weregiven a working definition of inclusion. This stated that inclusion should be taken tomean ‘mainstream schools accommodating a full diversity of pupils’. They were alsogiven a definition for special educational needs taken from the Education Act (1996),stating that ‘A child has special educational needs … if he has a learning difficultywhich calls for special educational provision to be made for him’.

The research began early in the PGCE year and the surveys were completed beforethe students had been formally introduced to any issues surrounding inclusion orSEN, so that their responses might reflect a stage where they had not been influenced

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by in-depth theoretical discussion, knowledge or experience gained during the PGCEprogramme or on school-based placement.

Data analysis

Context and setting. Of the 125 surveys administered 108 were completed andreturned, representing a return rate of 86.4%. From this number 28% were male and72% female reflecting accurately the gender breakdown for the whole PGCE popu-lation in Northern Ireland. Table 1 sets out the characteristics of the students whoparticipated.

Ages within the group ranged from 21–47 years with more than half (51%) aged 22or 23. The survey also revealed that 72.4% of the student teachers attended anacademically selective school, while 27.6% had experienced non-selective schooling.This may be particularly significant because at present in the Northern Ireland schoolsystem these figures are almost completely reversed with 70% of pupils attending aschool that is non-selective. The survey also showed that while 53.7% of studentteachers were educated in a co-educational setting, 30% attended all girls’ schoolsand only 15% came from boys’ schools. In Northern Ireland, ITE reflects the widerteaching profession which is strongly female dominated.

Results

Within the first theme student teachers’ beliefs and attitudes about the purpose ofschools and organizational issues within teaching were examined. This fell into threesub-themes that reflected current key issues of debate in Northern Ireland: academicselection, academic excellence, and equality of provision.

On the question of academic selection, 44.9% disagreed with changing the educa-tion system from selective to a non-selective system as the best means of promotinginclusion, 39.3% did not know and only 15.9% agreed with the statement.

Table 1. Student characteristics (n = 108)

Gender female 72%

male 28%

Age (years) 21–25 70.0%26–30 16.7%31–35 4.6%36–40 2.5%40–47 1.8%

School non-selective 27.6%selective 72.4%

School type all boys 15.0%all girls 30.2%

co-education 53.7%

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When attitudes to academic excellence were examined 48.1% preferred streamingto non-streaming, 37.5% did not know and 14.4% preferred non-streaming. Themajority (68.2%) disagreed that it was more important for schools to promoteacademic achievement rather than social inclusion, 37.5% agreed and 18.7% did notknow. Again the majority (68.2%), disagreed that the most important role of theschool was to promote academic excellence, while 15.9% did not know and 15.8%agreed it was the most important role.

When examining attitudes to equality of provision, 57.5% believed that main-stream schools should not be allowed to exercise policies that may exclude those withspecial needs while 24.5% did not know and 17.9% disagreed. A significant minority(38.7%) did not know if mainstream schools should have the final say in enrolmentwhile 27.4% believed they should and 17.9% disagreed with the statement.

From this theme, several issues emerge. Of particular significance was the findingsuggesting that those in the early stages of teacher education appeared genuinelysupportive of government plans that, ‘every teacher should expect to teach childrenwith SEN’ (Department for Education and Skills, 2004) with a substantial majority(82.3%) agreeing with Statement 1 within the survey, ‘I think all teachers shouldexperience teaching pupils with special educational needs’. On the question ofacademic selection, however, almost half (44.9%) were less positive about the advan-tages of a non-selective system. This finding gives rise to some concern as NorthernIreland has made the decision to abandon academic selection in 2008 and it isimperative that teachers are entirely supportive of this. On the theme of academic

Table 2. Responses to theme 1

Category 1: Student teachers’ attitudes about the purpose of schools and attitudes about organizational issues of teaching

Statements Agree (%) Do not know (%) Disagree (%)

1. I think all teachers should experience teaching pupils with special educational needs

82.2 12.1 5.6

2. I think that streaming is the best practice for dealing effectively with pupils of different abilities

48.1 37.5 14.4

3. It is more important for schools to promote academic achievement than social inclusion

13.1 18.7 68.2

4. I think that changing the education system in Northern Ireland from selective to a non-selective one is the best to cater for all pupils

15.9 39.3 44.9

5. The most important role of a school is to ensure academic excellence

15.8 15.9 68.2

6. Mainstream schools should not be allowed to exercise policies and structures that cater only for the needs of certain pupils thereby excluding others with special education needs

57.5 24.5 17.9

7. Mainstream schools should have the final say in which pupils they can enrol

27.4 38.7 34.0

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excellence, the responses still showed substantial support for school structures thatwere at odds with the ideology of inclusion. Almost half of the responses (48.1%),indicated the belief that banding based on academic ability or streaming was still thebest practice for dealing effectively with different abilities, while a further 37.5% wereunsure. Only 14.4% disagreed with the use of streaming. While many studentsremained unsure of the benefits of inclusion as a means of ensuring equality of provi-sion, many (57.5%) believed that it was wrong for schools to employ policies thatmight exclude pupils with SEN. On the issue of mainstream schools having the finalsay on enrolment, the respondents were divided with 27.4% ‘for’ and 34.0%‘against’. A further 38.7% were still undecided. At this early stage of teacher educa-tion, it may be unsurprising that many students were unsure of their attitudes toissues of which they may have little experience with almost half (47.2%) claiming tohave had no previous experience of SEN at all.

However, while the responses under this theme show support for the ideal of inclu-sion, it was clear there were many student teachers whose underlying beliefs and pref-erences lay firmly in structures more likely to be found within traditional academicallybased, selective schooling.

Within theme 2, student teachers’ concerns or anxieties about teaching within aninclusive educational classroom were examined. These fell into two sub-themes:personal adequacy and prejudices regarding inclusion.

Their respondents were almost equally divided on perceptions about their experi-ence in working effectively with pupils with SEN with 47.2% believing they did nothave the experience and 49.1% perceiving themselves to have adequate experiencewhile 3.7% did not know. More than half (57.4)) felt they did not possess adequateskills to teach in an inclusive setting with 21.5% believed they had and 21.1% did notknow. Half (50.9%), believed that a ‘special kind’ of teacher was required to teachpupils with SEN while 25.9% disagreed and 23.2% were unsure. Surprisingly,considering the highly positive response to statement 1 in the survey, more than half(51.9%) believed that SEN teachers also need a ‘special interest’ in this area to beeffective.

Statements 3–9 and 12 examined personal prejudices about several issues aroundinclusion. With regard to perceptions of the validity of the screening system for allo-cating SEN labels, the majority (40%), disagreed that some claims for SEN classifi-cation were just ways of special treatment while 38.1% agreed with the statement and21.9% did not know. Almost half (48.3%) did not believe that emotional and behav-ioural problems could just be an excuse for lack of self-discipline, while almost onethird (29.6%) believed they could be so used and 24.1% did not know.

Responses about the potential negative affect on other pupils of including SENpupils in mainstream showed that 46.7% did not believe they should be excludedwhile 35.5% did not know and 17.8% felt they should be excluded.

Question 6 and 7 addressed attitudes to the role of parents in SEN with 60% agree-ing with the importance of the role of the parent in behaviour. Most (65.4%), blamedthe parent for their child’s bad behaviour while 15.2% did not and 24.8% did notknow.

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The majority (52.3%) perceived difficulties in having too many differences in theclassroom, 23.4% did not and 24.3% did not know. Most (59.3%), believed thateducation has a primary duty to look after those who are trying to learn, 27.8%disagreed while 13% were unsure. Most ((68.2%), believed that teachers should beprepared to deal with emotional and behavioural problems in their classroom while23.4% were unsure and 8.4% disagreed with this statement.

In this section, student teachers voiced their personal concerns and anxieties aboutteaching in an exclusive educational setting. On the subject of personal adequacyapproximately half saw themselves as already having the experience and skills to workin a setting where children with SEN were involved and about half also believed thatteachers of pupils with SEN should have special interest or have special skills in thisarea to teach effectively. This was a surprising contradiction to the earlier responses


Category 2: Concerns and anxieties about teaching in an inclusive educational setting


1. I have no experience in working with special education needs

47.2 3.7 49.1

2. I am concerned I will not have the skills required to teach special educational needs in an inclusive setting

57.4 21.1 21.5

3. I think some people claim to have special educational needs to get extra attention and special treatment

38.1 21.9 40.0

4. Emotional and behavioural problems are often just an excuse for lack of self-discipline

29.6 24.1 48.3

5. Pupils with emotional and behavioural problems should be excluded from mainstream classes as they disrupt other pupils’ progress

17.8 35.5 46.7

6. It is a parent’s role to ensure their child behaves properly

60.0 24.8 15.2

7. I think that parents are often to blame for their child’s poor behaviour

65.4 14.0 20.6

8. I think it is impossible to try and accommodate too many differences in one classroom

52.3 24.3 23.4

9. Education has a first duty to look after the interests of pupils who are trying to learn

59.3 13.0 27.8

10. I think you need to be a special kind of teacher to teach pupils with special educational needs

50.9 23.2 25.9

11. I think your need a special interest in special educational needs to be an effective teacher of SEN

51.9 14.2 34.0

12. A teacher should be concerned with educational issues and not be expected to deal with a pupil’s emotional and behavioural problems

8.4 23.4 68.2

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given where a large majority (82.3%), were agreed that all teachers should teachpupils with SEN.

Prejudices about selection of SEN candidates were highlighted with almost a third(30%) believing that problems of behaviour may be because of a lack of self-disciplineand attention seeking. One pertinent finding was that even if the cause of pupils’disruptive behaviours might be unclear, less than one-fifth (17%), of student teachersfelt pupils should be excluded from the classroom. This response is somewhat contra-dicted, however, by the fact that over half the respondents agreed that it was very diffi-cult to accommodate too many differences in one classroom. It would seem that whilestudent teachers felt themselves able to facilitate some SEN children in the classroom,there were indicators that they felt this would be problematic if it caused strongdisruption to other pupils. Finally, the role of the parent in relation to the child’sbehaviour does appear to be an important factor, as nearly two-thirds placed greatemphasis on parental responsibility for their child’s behaviour.

Within theme 3, student teachers’ personal beliefs and attitudes towards the ideol-ogy of inclusive education were examined. This category again divided into sub-themes: personal preferences on inclusion and attitudes and beliefs about academicachievement and inclusion.

Concerning teaching in a selective education system, most students (44.9%)agreed that they would prefer to do so if given the choice, while 30.8% disagreed and23.4% were not sure. When asked about whether they felt they personally would have


Category 3: Personal beliefs and attitudes towards the ideology of inclusive education


1. I would prefer to teach in a selective educational system if I had the choice

44.9 23.4 30.8

2. I don’t think I would have done as well academically if I had been in an inclusive classroom when at school

19.4 54.4 26.2

3. I think I would have benefited from being part of an inclusive classroom

29.2 53.8 17.7

4. I enjoyed school and never had any real problem with learning

71.3 7.4 21.3

5. It is more important for schools to promote social inclusion than academic achievement

22.9 30.5 46.7

6. The best way to ensure equality of provision is for all pupils to be educated in an inclusive classroom

20.8 50.9 28.3

7. Having pupils with diverse special educational needs in the classroom is unfair to other pupils who may be held back

39.3 24.3 36.4

8. Parents should have the final say in which school their child attends

34.6 23.4 42.1

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benefited in some way from being part of an inclusive classroom over half (53.8%)did not know while 29.2% felt they would have, and 17.7% disagreed. Measurementof attitudes outside the academic benefit of an inclusive system showed that a major-ity (42.1%) believed that parents should not have the final say in the selection of theirchild’s school while 34.6% believed parents should have and 23.4% did not know.

As to how well an inclusive classroom would support and promote pupil academicachievement, more than half (54.4%) did not know if they would have achieved ashigh an academic standard if they had been educated in an inclusive classroom,26.2% felt they would while 19.4% believed that they would not have achieved to thesame degree. The majority (71.3%), stated that they had enjoyed school and had noperceived learning problems while 21.3% had a less positive experience and 7.4% didnot know. When asked if they felt that the best way to ensure equality of provisionwas for all pupils to be educated in an inclusive classroom, just over half (50.9%),were undecided and while 28.3% believed this was the best way, 20.8% felt theycould not subscribe to this view. When asked if they believed accommodating pupilswith diverse SEN in an inclusive classroom would be detrimental to the progress ofothers, 42.1% disagreed, 34.6% agreed and 23.4% were undecided.

In this section, some student teachers tended to show somewhat traditional viewson the purpose of schooling. Despite over 80% agreeing with the earlier statementthat all teachers should teach pupils with SEN, whether they would prefer to teach ina selective or non-selective school if given the choice, just under half (44.9%), wouldchoose the former and almost a quarter were unsure. Only about one third preferredto teach in a non-selective school. There is undoubtedly some contradiction here thatcould be interpreted in a number of ways. While appearing to support the ideal ofinclusive education, many student teachers still showed strong personal preferencesfor teaching within more traditional and familiar systems. As over 70% of the studentbody attended academically selective schools, it may be that their own experiencesand expectations of schooling have been strongly affected by this. It may also be thatthese were the students who perceived the pursuit of academic achievement to be themain purpose of schools. Undoubtedly, this theme showed that at the start of theirtraining many student teachers in Northern Ireland are at best unsure or at worstuncomfortable at the prospect of teaching in an inclusive educational environment.

Conclusion and recommendations

Northern Ireland is on the cusp of embracing major, historic educational changes.These will be far reaching and will affect all aspects of the education system, includingthe organization of post-primary schooling and the revision of the curriculum andhow it is to be assessed. Many of the changes are a response towards making educa-tion more inclusive. While academic selection will end in 2008, much work has yet tobe done to ensure successful implementation of whatever new system is finallyadopted. Many teachers (and parents) are concerned as to what the schools of thefuture will look like in the province. Uncertainty has allowed for the growth of lobbygroups, some still strongly supporting the continuation of selection and others urging

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for the immediate adoption of inclusive schools. Even at this stage, with considerablereview of the system having taken place, it would be either very brave or very specu-lative to suggest what the final model will be. However, with some legislation alreadyin place and more about to be adopted, it is unlikely that the move towards moreinclusive practices will recede. These changes must inevitably affect all aspects ofteacher training and, on this assumption those involved in ITE have a responsibilityto equip new teachers with the skills necessary to teach effectively within an increas-ingly inclusive system. Moreover, if this is to occur, both teacher trainers and studentteachers must have attitudes that are positive towards more inclusive schooling.

This research offers some insight into the attitudes of students on inclusion issuesat the earliest phase of teacher education, albeit the small size of the study means thatany generalization is tentative. In particular the findings revealed the following:

● Many student teachers appear to support the ideal of inclusive classrooms and findthe beliefs and aims behind the movement towards inclusion to be laudable.

● While supporting the idea of inclusion and inclusive practices, the student groupstill appeared to be more comfortable with the traditional systems they knew.While a large majority claimed to favour all teachers teaching pupils with SEN, asubstantial minority would themselves chose to teach in an academically selectiveschool if given the choice. The contradiction here is further compounded by thefact that well under one-fifth actually favoured the removal of the selection proce-dure at age 11, as a means of ensuring a more inclusive system. If we are to ensureeffective implementation of inclusive practices, it is important that new teachersshow belief and positivity towards them.

● Though the student group were given a working definition of inclusion and SEN,their responses suggested that inclusive classrooms should only exist with provisos.

● Some student teachers had not yet formed clear opinions about teaching in aninclusive setting. This was not unexpected at a stage in their PGCE course whenthey had yet to gain some teaching experience. However, it should also be seen asthe most opportune moment to cultivate positive attitudes through exposure to acarefully designed academic learning programme about inclusion.

The research is ongoing. A follow-up survey will be conducted when the studentgroup have completed their first teaching practice experience, and may reveal towhat extent (if any) experience has influenced the development of opinion and atti-tudes on inclusive schooling. It is hoped that further research would reveal howexperience may have modified or confirmed the early views of the student groupgenerally. It is intended that a qualitative approach will be used, and interviews willbe conducted with a sample of the student population to explore and expand on thesurvey findings.

Those responsible for ITE, at the strategic and operational level, will also need tobe more pro-active in winning the hearts and minds of their students towards anapproach to teaching in a setting that is different from the accepted norms of the past.A better understanding of attitudes to inclusion will provide a more informed basison which we can undertake a review of the present arrangement for supporting

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student teachers as they become the first generation in the province to teach in a moreinclusive setting.

Notes on Contributors

Jackie Lambe is a Lecturer in Education, University of Ulster. Her main role is asCourse Director for the Post-Primary Certificate in Education in the areas of Artand Design and Special Educational Needs. Her research interests are in SpecialEducational Needs, issues relating to inclusive practice, and the development ofICT and particularly Online Learning in Education.

Robert Bones is Lecturer in Human and Biological Psychology, University of Ulster.Areas of research include stimulus equivalence and applied behaviour analysis.

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Documents

Student teachers’ attitudes to inclusion: implications for Initial Teacher Education in Northern Ireland