Attitude of Primary School Teachers Towards Inclusive Education and Problems Faced by Them: A Study in Baripada Block

Inclusive education is a worldwide initiative focused on promoting human rights, equality, and equity. In the past, students with disabilities were frequently separated from mainstream schools and placed in specialized institutions. Progressive reforms have established the right of all children to be educated together in mainstream classrooms. The teacher’s attitudes and beliefs can significantly impact how effectively inclusion is implemented in the classrooms and create a welcoming environment for all students. This study examines the attitude of primary school teachers towards inclusive education and problems faced by them in Baripada block. The main objectives of this study are to study the overall attitude of primary school teachers, to study the attitude of male and female primary teachers towards inclusive education and to study the various problems faced by teacher in regular classroom. The study used mixed method research design. The study included 30 primary school teachers (15 male, 15 female) randomly chosen from 10 schools. For data collection, the researcher employed the "Teacher's Attitude Scale towards Inclusive Education," which was created and standardized by Vishal Sood and Arti Anand and another self-made interview scheduled for teachers used to understand the problems faced by them in an inclusive classroom setting. The T-test is employed for quantitative data analysis, while item analysis is utilized for qualitative data examination. The study revealed that primary teachers generally have a very positive attitude towards inclusive education, with no significant difference in attitude between male and female teachers. Despite this positivity, they face considerable challenges in inclusive classrooms, primarily due to a lack of resources and difficulty in tailoring instruction to cater to the varied learning requirements of students.