The Effect of Different Variables on Special and Regular Teachers’ Attitudes towards Mentally Retarded Students and Their Educational Integration

Abstract

The integration of mentally retarded students into regular education schools by no means ensures their acceptance and social development. Therefore, in this study 495 regular and special education teachers including 248 special teachers and 247 regular teachers from Tehran in order to measure their attitudes towards mentally retarded students and their educational integration were given Beh-pajooh’s Attitude Scale (1992). Independent variables include: social contact, gender, age, in service training, level of teaching, information, education and experience of teaching and attitude scores was dependent variable. The results indicated that a: special teachers’ attitudes towards mentally retarded students and their educational integration were significantly more positive than regular teachers’ attitudes. b: both special and regular teachers, who were younger and female, who had experienced more social contact, right information, higher education and courses regarding in service training expressed more positive attitudes.

Keywords

• attitude
• elementary teachers
• special teachers
• mentally retarded students
• educational integration