TEACHERS’ ATTITUDE TOWARDS INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN SOUTHEAST ASIA*

Pradita Permatasari Sibagariang

Indonesia, permatasari.pradita@gmail.com

*Sponsored by Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP)

Indonesian Ministry of Finance

 

Abstract

The Southeast Asia countries have implemented inclusive education for two decades. During this period, the governments regularly support the improvement of inclusive practice’s quality. However, the implementation of inclusive education in the Southeast Asia is still ineffective. The practice shows slow development. The majority of studies considered the teachers as a main barrier of this condition. This finding is interesting since the teachers have important role in establishment and success of inclusive education. Therefore, the information regarding the teachers’ attitude towards inclusive education in Southeast Asia and the influential factors of the attitude are important to understand this phenomenon. If the teachers display more positive attitude towards inclusive education, then the more success of inclusive education practice. Nine studies from six countries in Southeast Asia have been reviewed in this study. The result identified the teachers in Southeast Asia have positive attitude towards inclusive education. However, there is a decreasing trend of their attitude during 11 years. The teachers have positive attitude in ten years ago, while their attitude becomes weakly positive or neutral in the last six years. The influential factors of the teachers’ attitude are divided into three groups, students-related, teachers-related, and educational-environment related. Teaching experience and the number of training are considered as main factors related to the teachers attitude.

Keywords: Teachers, Attitude, Southeast Asia, Inclusive, Education