Exploring positive and negative teachers' attitudes towards inclusion of children with disabilities in schools in Trinidad: implications for teacher education

This paper explores positive and negative attitudes towards the inclusion of children with disabilities in schools among primary and secondary school teachers in Trinidad via qualitative methods. Data is collected from 15 primary and secondary school teachers using semi-structured interviews and constant comparison analysis is employed to identify the themes. Among the teachers in the positive attitude category, two themes emerged, namely humanistic beliefs and recognition of benefits indicating the existence of a philosophy of inclusiveness. For teachers in the negative attitude category, two distinct themes emerged corresponding to limitations for children with and without disabilities and the lack of support for inclusion. The findings indicate the need for professional development for in-service teachers and the urgency for a compulsory pre-service programme for new teachers in Trinidad.