y. Heflin and Bullock (1999) noted that inclusion has met with resistance from general education teachers who must now face teaching children with multiple and severe learning problems to include those with emotional and behavioral disorders.
All teachers do not condone a one-size-all approach such as inclusion. Cook (2001) pointed out that teacher attitudes are a function of disability severity, which cannot be easily altered. On the other hand, inclusion has been viewed as a positive experience for all. Hollifield (2000), a special education teacher, reported her successes with inclusion practices. This teacher stated that students must stay with their peers in regular education classrooms to be successful. Special needs students must understand that they are valuable members of the school and classroom community. Special education students in regular classrooms develop a positive identity. They no longer feel different due to being pulled out of the class and they become a part of the inside talk of the classroom. These students develop social skills and relationships and confidence in their abilities that stay with them throughout their upper grades.
Most of the studies in the literature review included mixed school levels (elementary, middle, and high school levels). While most studies tended to investigate similar and overlapping variables, subtopics for this group of studies include the following: prior experience with disability students; training needs; support needs; teacher, student, and school attributes; attitudes toward inclusion; and preservice teacher attitudes toward inclusion.
Prior Experience With Disability Students. Wall (2002) studied 96 teachers from elementary; middle, and high school levels: 9 from kindergarten, 25 from Grades 1-3, 29 from Grades 4-6, 12 from Grades 7-9, and 18 from Grades 9-12. For this study attitudes toward inclusion were based on beliefs about educational place...