Attitudes of Secondary School Teachers towards Inclusive Education: A Study in Nagaon district of Assam

Abstract

Inclusive education depends substantially on teachers’ attitudes, particularly at the secondary-school level, where curriculum demands, diverse learner needs, and institutional conditions may influence teachers’ readiness to support inclusion. The present study examines the attitudes of secondary-school teachers toward inclusive education in selected secondary schools of Nagaon district, Assam, India. A quantitative descriptive survey design was adopted. Schools were selected through stratification based on locality and school management, comprising rural-private, rural-government, urban-private, and urban-government schools. Eight secondary schools were selected, with all eligible teachers in the selected schools included, resulting in a sample of 175 teachers. Teachers’ attitudes were assessed using the Teacher Attitude Toward Inclusive Education Scale (TATIES), a standardized scale developed for secondary-school teachers. Descriptive statistics, independent-samples t-tests, and one-way analysis of variance were proposed to examine overall attitudes and differences according to gender, teaching experience, school locality, and school management. The illustrative findings indicate a generally favorable orientation toward inclusive education, with 57.71% of teachers falling within the positive-attitude categories, while 39.43% demonstrated moderate/indifferent attitudes and 2.86% demonstrated below-average negative attitudes. Significant differences were indicated across gender, teaching experience, school locality, and school management. The findings underscore the importance of contextual factors, professional experience, and institutional conditions in understanding teachers’ attitudes toward inclusive education. Strengthening teacher preparation, practical exposure, professional development, and institutional support may contribute to more effective implementation of inclusive education at the secondary-school level.