Parents' and Teachers' Perceptions of Inclusive Education in Jordan

Abstract

The current study aimed to describe and analyze the attitudes and perceptions of parents and teachers towards inclusive education. The study used the mixed approach (quantitative and qualitative) within two stages, in the first stage the views of teachers and parents towards inclusive education were surveyed using a survey questionnaire, and in the second stage interviews were conducted with focus groups in Marka, Ajloun and Karak. The results of the quantitative data indicated that parents' attitudes were median, while they were high among teachers. The study found statistically significant differences between the attitudes of parents of students with disabilities and the attitudes of parents without disabilities in favor of the first group. The qualitative results confirmed a positive change in the attitudes and perceptions of both teachers and parents towards inclusion and inclusive education, and indicated a positive change in teachers' perceptions about disability and their practices in dealing with it. The study recommends conducting future studies aimed at analyzing the nature of interaction between students with disabilities and their peers in inclusive schools using the ethnographic qualitative approach.