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A.

Background and Theoretical Framework of the Study

Ensuring that children with disabilities receive good quality education in an inclusive environment should be a priority of all countries (WHO, 2011). In article 24, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006) stresses that governments without discrimination and on the basis of equal opportunityshall ensure an inclusive education system at all levels and lifelong learning, and provide appropriate accommodations and support services to individuals with disabilities to facilitate their education. The movement toward educational inclusion is a global trend (Rayner, 2007). In the Philippines, the policy of inclusion was adopted after the World Conference in Special Needs Education held in Salamanca, Spain in June 1994 (Inciong, 2005). This is to uphold the fundamental principle that all children should learn together, wherever possible, regardless of any difficulties or differences they have (The Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action on Special Needs Education, 1994), in line with the placement principle of least restrictive environment (IDEA, 2001). According to Dizon (1996), there is presently a growing awareness of including students with disabilities in regular schools, particularly in the public schools and classrooms all over the country. Thus, inclusive education has become the main thrust in the education of children with special needs in the country (Ebol, 2001). This is implemented through the organization of SPED centers as resource center in special needs education; provision of early intervention program on a limited basis in some parts of the country; teacher education and training; the curriculum; community and parental involvement; early childhood care and education; and conferences, symposia and fora on inclusive education (Inciong, 2005). According to Cochran (1998), if the movement towards inclusion continues, and teachers attitudes are significant variable related to the success of students with disabilities, additional research is warranted. These potential areas of research include identifying relationships between teachers attitudes towards students with special needs and teachers attitudes towards disabled persons in general; and desensitizing regular education teachers with negative attitude toward students with special needs. The World Health Organization (2011), states that attitudes of teachers (as well as school administrators, children and parents) affect children with disabilities in mainstream schools and identified these negative attitudes as a major obstacle to the education of disabled children. In the Philippines, Inciong (2005) specified that reducing attitudinal barriers of the school staff, parents and community toward children with disabilities is a significant agenda for inclusion. Ebol (2001) considered these as the worst barrier and very critical in the implementation of a viable and systematic special education program in the Philippines. Thus, investigating the nature of attitudes towards individuals with disabilities is important in the context of the classroom. With more students with disabilities being educated in regular classrooms, there is a need to examine the attitudes that teachers hold toward individuals with disabilities (Barr and Brachitta, 2008). Persons with disabilities are often negatively marginalized by the rest of the society. They constitute a significant disadvantaged group and vastly under-utilized human resource base (Agcaoili, 2000). They are often made to feel that their participation in activities, programs or public life is not

welcomed (Commission on Human Rights, 2007). In recent years, research suggests that attitudes towards persons with disabilities have improved. Yet negative attitudes such as social rejection and greater social distance still exist, and so recognized as barriers to success for people with disabilities in social, educational and vocational context (White et al., 2006, cited in Kitchen, 2007). These negative attitudes, according to Reiter et al. (2010), can result in barriers to rehabilitation; and affect the quality and availability of services to persons with disabilities (Rees, Spreen and Harnadek, 1991, cited in Barr and Bracchitta, 2008). Negative attitudes, like any cultural artifacts, are social constructs. When society views disability as deviance, people with disabilities are often seen as deviant and harmful to society. Emotions attached to these negative images can be ones of disgust, alienation or fear. The behavior associated with disability can lead to segregation and denial of basic civil and human rights creating a major barrier to rehabilitation and access to goods and services in the community (Reiter and Bryen, 2010). Hence, the shift of attention has to take place from person to his or her socially handicapping conditions. In so far as disability is made more handicapping due to neglect, prejudiced attitudes and discriminatory practices of the society, it would require that the society gets rehabilitated and not the persons with disabilities (Dalal, 2006). The attitudes teachers hold towards persons with disabilities is one of the critical elements for the successful inclusion of students with disabilities in regular classrooms. Attitudes are a factor in ones daily living and therefore play an important role in an educators daily interaction with students (Parasuram, 2006). The National Disability Authority of Ireland (2006) stressed that teachers attitudes towards students with disabilities have a significant impact on their educational experience; since teachers are the primary deliverers of the service, set the tone of the classroom, and are most affected by the changes as they interact with students with disabilities (Ross, 2002; Carroll, Forlin and Jobling, 2003). Researchers of Multinational Study of Attitudes Toward Persons with Intellectual Disabilities also asked about assumed barriers hindering the inclusion of persons with disabilities. Beside lack of support systems in the community, negative attitudes of teachers were one of the considered a crucial factors (Special Olympics Organization, 2003). According to Trinidad (1996), regular or general education teachers can effectively teach mainstreamed/included learners if they have positive attitudes toward these students. Teachers who make these students feel that they are cared for, safe and treated fairly is conducive to developing a sense of belonging on the part of these students (Ma, 2003). Attitudes have three components---cognition, affect and behavior, in which are closely related to one another (Judge and Robbin, 2007). According to Leatherman and Niemeyer (2005), the interaction of this triadic model of attitude suggests that teachers form attitudes towards children with disabilities, and ultimately towards inclusion, based on a childs characteristics, the factors in the classroom and their previous experiences. The cognitive component refers to knowledge and beliefs about the causes of behavior of children with disabilities in an inclusive setting. The affective component is based on the cognitive understanding of disability or persons with disability, which can motivate people to get involved in working with a child with disability, or generate feeling that could cause them to exclude a child with disability from typical activities. The behavioral component deals

with a tendency to behave or respond in a particular way when in contact with children who have disabilities (e.g. move farther away from the child). Various factors have been studied on their influence to the general education teachers attitudes towards persons with disabilities. These variables include sex, age, education level, type of disability and contact with persons with disabilities (Parasuram, 2006; Gal, Schreur and Engel-Yeger, 2010). These variables will be discussed further in the proceeding review of literature. Because of the emerging movement on the importance of including persons with disabilities into regular schools, it is imperative to assess regular teachers attitude towards them. This will serve as a significant step for preparing the schools in providing an accommodating and inclusive educational setting for students with disabilities.

B. Paradigm of the Study Independent Variables Dependent Variables

Sex

Age

Educational Level

Attitudes toward Persons with Disabilities

Contact

Type of Disability

Figure 1 The Paradigm of the Study The paradigm presents the variables that may influence ones attitudes towards persons with disabilities. Factors such as the sex, age, educational level, contact with persons with disabilities and the type of disability serve as independent variables whereas the attitudes towards persons with disabilities serve as dependent variables

C. Statement of the Problem and Hypothesis This study aims to explore regular public elementary school teachers attitudes towards persons with disabilities. Specifically, it sought to answer the following questions: 1. What are regular public elementary school teachers general attitudes towards persons with disabilities? 2. Is there significant difference between regular public elementary school teachers attitudes towards persons with disabilities when grouped according to sex? 3. Is there is significant difference between regular public elementary school teachers attitudes towards persons with disabilities when grouped according to age? 4. Is there is significant difference between regular public elementary school teachers attitudes towards persons with disabilities when grouped according to educational level? 5. Is there is significant difference between regular public elementary school teachers attitudes towards persons with disabilities when grouped according to contact with persons with disabilities? 6. Is there is significant difference between regular public elementary school teachers attitudes towards persons with disabilities when grouped according to the type of disability? 7. Is there a significant relationship between the variables (such as sex, age, educational level, contact with persons with disabilities and type of disability) and the regular public elementary school teachers general attitudes toward persons with disabilities? In relation to the above-stated questions, the following hypotheses have been formulated: 1. There is no significant difference between regular public elementary school teachers attitudes towards persons with disabilities when grouped according to sex. 2. There is no significant difference between regular public elementary school teachers attitudes towards persons with disabilities when grouped according to age. 3. There is no significant difference between regular public elementary school teachers attitudes towards persons with disabilities when grouped according to educational level. 4. There is no significant difference between regular public elementary school teachers attitudes towards persons with disabilities when grouped according to contact with persons with disabilities. 5. There is no significant difference between regular public elementary school teachers attitudes towards persons with disabilities when grouped according to the type of disability. 6. There is no significant relationship between the variables (such as sex, age, educational level, contact with persons with disabilities and type of disability) and the regular elementary school teachers general attitudes toward persons with disabilities.

D.

Definition of Terms

The important terms used in this study are conceptually and operationally defined to provide a clear understanding of the basic concepts of this investigation. Person with disability - person having a physical or mental or impairment that substantially limits him or her in some major life activity, and having experienced discrimination resulting from their physical and mental impairment (ADA, 1991, in Hardman et al., 2009). In this study, this is a general term for persons having disabilities irrespective of the type of disability. Attitudes - are general positive or negative, favorable or unfavorable evaluations or beliefs held about an object, people or event (Fishbein and Ajzen, 1975; Nairne, 2003). In this study, this denotes the overall beliefs, feelings and the tendency to act toward the attitude object specifically persons with disabilities. Attitudes toward Persons with Disabilities - refers to positive or negative attitudes or the degree of acceptance or rejection towards persons with disabilities. In this study, this is represented by the results measured by Attitudes Towards Disabled Person Scale. A high score obtained from ATDP indicates positive or favorable attitudes while a low score indicates negative or unfavorable attitudes towards persons with disabilities (Yuker, Block and Young, 1970). Age - the length of time a person has lived since birth. In this study, it means the age of a respondent at the time of the study. Sex - means male or female. In this study, this refers to the self-identification of participants as male or female indicated in demographic data sheet. Educational Level - the level of schooling/education one had acquired. In this study, this refers to the highest educational level (either completed or not) of the respondents as reported in the demographic data sheet. Contact - prior or present interaction with persons with disabilities. In this study, this denotes the respondents prior or present relationship, interaction, acquaintance or experience with persons with disabilities. Type of Disability - categories of disability identified by respective distinct characteristics. For the purpose of this study, the type of disability is sorted into three general categories: Physical-Motor Disability - disability affecting the ability to control muscle movement which often limits mobility and motor tasks. Examples include cerebral palsy, arthritis, paralysis, limb loss and reduced function of one or more limbs (UNESCO, 2009). In this study, this means individuals primarily having difficulty with gross and fine motor tasks, and usually requires the

use of wheelchairs and crutches, due to medical/health condition or a loss/dysfunction of arms and/or legs. Sensory Disability disability resulting from the impairment of one of the senses, specifically vision and hearing. These include visual and hearing impairments which refer to mild to severe loss of hearing or vision (IDEA, in Mastropieri and Scruggs, 2000). In this study, this refers to persons most commonly called as deaf or blind. Intellectual/Developmental Disability- disability caused by a number of different conditions or diagnoses with the common characteristic that the ability to learn and to cope within society is impaired (UNESCO, 2009). In this study, this includes persons with Downs syndrome, mental retardation, autism and other similar conditions. Regular public elementary school teachers teachers teaching regular elementary students in public (government-owned and funded schools. In this study, these are the respondents or the participants. These are regular public elementary school teachers teaching in the Division of Iloilo City, District I-Iloilo City Proper.

A. Research Design Quantitative Type of Research Descriptive Research Design/Survey Method

B. Methodology The Sample/Participants/Informants Regular public elementary school teachers of the Division of Iloilo City particularly from District I-Iloilo City Proper. These include regular public elementary school teachers from the following schools: Iloilo Central Elementary School A. Mabini Elementary School Rizal Elementary School Manuel L. Quezon Elementary School A. Bonifacio Elementary School

a. b. c. d. e.

Participants will be grouped into four: (a) regular public elementary school teachers attitudes toward persons with disabilities in general; (b) regular public elementary school teachers attitudes toward persons with physical disabilities; (c) regular public elementary school teachers attitudes toward persons with sensory disabilities; and (d) regular public elementary school teachers attitudes toward persons with developmental/ intellectual disabilities. The Instruments Demographic Data Sheet The demographic sheet is a researcher-made tool for obtaining the following information: (a) age; (b) sex; (c) educational level; (d) contact with persons with disabilities; and (e) type of disability. Attitude Toward Disabled Persons Scale (ATDP) The most widely used research tool developed by Yuker, Block and Young (1970) in assessing attitudes toward persons with disabilities (Lyons, 1990; Alghazo, 2002; Yuker and Block, 1986, in Kitchen, 2007). On the ATDP form O, the preferred version which includes 20 items in a Likert format, reliability is .83 on a test-retest within 5 weeks, 4 16 month testretest is .68; split-half is .80, and alpha is .76 (White et al., 2006). Validity of the ATDP is

acceptably high, using several approaches including content, predictive, concurrent, and construct validity (White et al., 2006). For the purpose of this study, a modified version will be utilized, changing the term disabled persons to: persons with disabilities in measuring attitudes towards persons with disabilities in general; persons with physical disabilities in measuring attitudes towards persons with physical disabilities; persons with sensory disabilities in measuring attitudes towards persons with sensory disabilities; persons with developmental/intellectual disabilities in measuring attitudes towards persons with developmental/intellectual disabilities;

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