An Enormous Necessity as Readiness of Schools for Inclusion: Teachers' Attitudes Toward Inclusive Education

Inclusive education has emerged as a crucial approach in the modern world for ensuring equitable and quality learning opportunities for all learners, including differently abled learners. Among the various factors influencing the successful implementation of inclusive education, teachers’ attitudes play a crucial role in determining the readiness of schools for inclusion. The present study aimed to examine the attitudes of upper-primary teachers towards inclusive education and to analyse differences based on gender, teaching experience, and teaching stream. The study used a quantitative methodology and a descriptive survey method. Using simple random sampling technique, 232 upper-primary teachers from government-sponsored/aided schools in the Paschim Medinipur district of West Bengal, India were selected as sample of the study. Data were collected using the standardized scale “Teacher Attitude Scale Towards Inclusive Education (TASTIE)” developed by Sood and Anand. Statistical techniques such as frequency distribution, percentage analysis, mean, standard deviation, t-test, one-way ANOVA, and Games-Howell post hoc test were employed for data analysis. The findings revealed that a majority of teachers exhibited unfavourable attitudes towards inclusive education, indicating limited readiness for the implementation of inclusive education. Significant differences were found based on gender, with male teachers demonstrating more favourable attitudes than female teachers. Similarly, teachers with less than 10 years of teaching experience showed more positive attitudes compared to their more experienced counterparts. In terms of teaching stream, Social Science teachers exhibited the most favourable attitudes, followed by science teachers, while Language teachers showed the least favourable attitudes. The predominance of unfavourable attitudes suggests the need for systematic teacher training, continuous professional development, and supportive school environments to enhance school readiness for inclusive education.