Exploring the Relationship between Teachers' Perceptions of School Climate and Their Attitudes toward Inclusion at the Preschool Level in China

Abstract

Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) passed by American government in 2004 revolutionized the education of children with disabilities. The IDEA requires that public schools provide specialized services to all children with disabilities from birth to age 21 for the purpose of granting equal access to education. A specific part of the law mandates public schools to create an individualized education program (IEP) for each student who is found to have an eligible disability. In China, the model of Learning in Regular Classrooms (LRC) has been implemented in primary and secondary schools for years. LRC proposes that students with mild disabilities enter regular classrooms to learn together with their typically developing peers and get necessary training and services. Little research is found concerning inclusion at the preschool level. The current study presents the demographic features of general education preschool teachers in Shanghai, China. Relationship between teachers' perceptions of school climate and their attitudes toward inclusion is investigated in order to provide supports for teachers implementing inclusion in the early childhood period.