The impact of a professional development programme on teachers' attitudes towards inclusion

This article describes a study that aimed to answer the following question: 'Will a programme of professional development in the area of special and inclusive education be effective in achieving attitudinal shift in teachers?' Forty-eight teachers who were enrolled on a Master's programme in Special and Inclusive Education were surveyed via a questionnaire at the beginning and end of a ten-week introductory module. The results indicated overall attitudinal shift and attitudinal shift for four categories of inclusion to suggest more positive attitudes at the end of the module, compared with at the beginning. The implications for providers of pre- and in-service education and training courses for teachers are discussed.