The Impact of Demographic and Occupational Factors on the Attitudes of Special Education Teachers towards Parental Involvement in the Educational Process in Greece

Teacher attitudes towards parents can affect their relationships with the child and the family and influence the extent to which parents feel motivated to be involved in their child's education. The objective of this study was to examine the perceptions of 600 special education teachers in Greece about their attitudes toward parental involvement in the educational process, and whether demographic and occupational characteristics differentiate these attitudes. Using the Parent-Caregiver Relationship Scale: Caregiver Form (PCRS), teachers reported positive perceptions about, as well as a high degree of, parental involvement in the education of their students. Additionally, teacher characteristics like gender, age, academic training, teaching experience, and collaboration with otherteachers, significantly differentiated those attitudes, in the total scale as well as specifically concerning trust/confidence, collaboration, and affiliation.Therefore, teachers were positively inclined towards the involvement of parents in the educational process and their personal characteristics helped to shape those attitudes.