Changing the Spots of Leopards: A Look into the Process of Teacher Change and its Impact on Inclusive Pedagogy

Abstract

For the last two decades, systems of education have been shifting special education teaching practice away from segregated classes to inclusive schools (Reiser & Secretariat, 2012; Sharma, Loreman, & Forlin, 2012; UNESCO, 1994). Despite much success, this shift has not come without its challenges. Research has found teachers’ attitudes and beliefs about students with exceptionalities influence their inclusive pedagogy (Avramidis & Norwich, 2002; MacFarlane & Woolfson, 2013; Scruggs & Mastropieri, 1996). This paper examines the current literature on teacher attitudes and beliefs towards inclusion as well as the process of teacher change. It is concluded that despite unfavourable attitudes, when teachers have training and support paired with authentic experiences, attitudes can shift and inclusive pedagogy adopted.