Mindsets for Preschool Inclusion: Preschool Teachers’ Perspectives on Disability in Early Childhood Education

Inclusion is a process of social transformation that is profoundly shaping the field of early childhood education. According to a narrow understanding of inclusion, the focus is on the joint participation of children with and without disabilities in general educational settings. How preschool teachers perceive and facilitate the inclusion of children with disabilities in this context depends significantly on their understanding of disability. This study therefore explores preschool teachers’ perspectives on the construct of disability. The data are based on interviews with n = 21 preschool teachers working in German preschools. The results show that teachers partially view disabilities as individual deficits of the child, partially as consequences of inadequate environmental conditions, and partially as something to be avoided and deconstructed. Most teachers combine multiple understandings of disability. Overall, the results indicate that a significant number of teachers hold a mindset shaped by the assumption of two distinct groups: those with and those without disabilities (dual-group theory). The results are discussed in the context of current debates on educational inclusion and the dual-group theory.