General education teachers' perceptions of their preparation to work with special education

This dissertation presents a review of the literature and results of a study investigating general education teachers' perception of their competence to work with exceptional students within the general education setting. Emphasis is on the perception of competence to work with exceptional students of a group of general education teachers at the middle school level in Lincoln Park, Michigan. These efforts are related to the concept of the least restrictive environment, a mandate contained within Public Law 94-142 (Individuals with Disabilities Act) and more recently Public Law 105-17, Amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (Idea 97). The least restrictive environment clause requires that students with disabilities (exceptional students) receive their education with nondisabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate. Mainstreaming/inclusion, represents one segment of the placement options utilized by local educational units in order to comply with the least restrictive environment clause.;Using a five-point Likert scale 1-strongly agree, 2-agree, 3-undecided, 4-disagree and 5-strongly disagree, the major findings of the 62 general education middle school teachers that were surveyed are as follows: (1) no significant difference was found between teachers' educational preparation and their perceptions of competence to work with exceptional students; (2) no significant relationship was found between teachers' years of teaching experience and their perceptions of competence to work with exceptional children; and (3) no significant difference was found between teachers' prior experiences with exceptional students and teachers perceptions of competence to work with exceptional students. Both the literature and the study indicate: (1) a basic willingness of general education teachers to work with exceptional students' and (2) the need for general education teachers to receive appropriate training in order to effectively work with exceptional students.