An analysis of teacher attitudes on educational inclusion of children with disabilities: Application of diffusion of innovations theory

Increasing opportunities for educational inclusion of students with disabilities are being implemented around the country; however, for this practice to be successful teachers must be supportive and hold positive attitudes toward inclusion principles. Research is needed to explore factors that both positively and negatively affect inclusive efforts relative to teacher thinking and skill. This study applied Rogers' (1995) Diffusion of Innovations Theory to explore how diffusion constructs and various teacher characteristics influence their attitudes on inclusion. 280 elementary school teachers from two school districts were surveyed about their attitudes toward inclusion. Consistent with diffusion theory, several elements emerged as predictors of favorability towards inclusion, including organizational climate (social system), innovativeness, use of information channels (communication channels) and communication sources. The study also provided useful insights on the benefits and challenges of inclusion, and the support needs of classroom teachers.