Eric.ed.gov – An Investigation of Teachers’ Attitudes, Concerns and Self-Efficacy toward Inclusive Education in STEM Classrooms

Research in this study examined the factors that affect teachers’ attitudes, concerns, and self-efficacy toward inclusive education in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) classrooms. The study was driven by the following overarching research question: Is there a significant correlation between teachers’ attitudes and teachers’ self-efficacy toward inclusive education in STEM classrooms? A sample of 198 teachers who taught at least one of the STEM subjects were selected randomly from various K-12 schools in Louisiana. A four-part survey questionnaire with reliable validity was used to collect data indicators. An ANOVA and t-test were used to analyze effect of demographic factors on teachers’ attitudes, concerns, and self-efficacy toward inclusive education. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used while investigating correlations between attitudes of teachers and their self-efficacy toward inclusive education. The results of this research study showed that teachers reported an overall positive attitude, a little concern, and higher self-efficacy toward inclusion in STEM classrooms. There was a medium strength positive correlation between attitudes of teachers and their self-efficacy toward inclusion in STEM classrooms. The findings in this study provided a better insight of teachers’ attitudes, concerns, and self-efficacy toward inclusive education and could serve as a basis for creating a framework of trainings and professional developments for teacher support to equip teachers with strategies to make inclusive education more effective for students with disabilities in STEM classrooms.