In recent years, more emphasize is placed on the issue educating disabled individuals in "least restricting environment" and both the governments regulating education policies and experts in the field favor this. "Least restricting environment" can usually be realized in regular education classes rather than self-contained classes. Mainstreaming disabled students in regular education classrooms, if necessary conditions are met, provides both long and short term benefits. It is observed that disabled students who are given education in "least restricting environment" created for them show similar development with their peers, make progress in all development areas, especially in social and personality development and by being included in the community disabled students, they become individuals taking more realistic and concrete steps towards self realization, with positive sense of self, higher self esteem. The purpose of this study is to determine the attitudes of the special education teachers and teachers mainstreaming education teachers working in Cyprus and the USA regarding mainstreaming education. The qualitative research technique is used in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data in this study. The reason of the use of qualitative research technique is to collect detailed and profound data, learn the experiences and point of views of the participants directly and understand and explain the present situations. The method of this study is a qualitative research model intended to determine the attitudes of the special education teachers and the teachers giving mainstreaming education in Cyprus and the USA towards mainstreaming education. Data were collected from the interviews with the special education teachers and teachers giving mainstreaming education in Cyprus and the USA during which semi-structured interview form was used. Before the interview form developed in the light of the suggestions by experts was used for the purpose of data-collection, it was tested on 5 teachers and the interview form was finalized in accordance with their responses and replies. The scope of the research consists of the guidance counselors and psychological counselors working in Cyprus in 2009. This study was carried out with the special education teachers and the teachers giving mainstreaming education in Cyprus and the USA with a view to determine their attitudes towards mainstreaming education with regard to their way of life, knowledge and equipment. Data in the study were acquired by means of interview with teachers. The coverage of the study is the special education teachers and teachers giving mainstreaming education working in Cyprus and the USA in 2009. Among purposive sample methods, criterion sample was selected and random samples were drawn from the teachers who meet the criterion. The basic point of this sampling method is to work with the persons selected randomly who meet certain pre-set criteria. In other words, the sample of the study consists of 60 teachers (24 Special Education Teachers and 20 mainstreaming education teachers working in Cyprus 16 Special Education Teachers working in the USA) drawn randomly from the special education teachers and mainstreaming teachers working in Cyprus and the USA. This study explored the relationship between (a) the Special Education Teachers in Cyprus, 1 (b) Mainstreaming Teachers in Cyprus and 1 (c) Special Education Teachers working in the USA by means of The Scale of the Attitudes of the Teachers Towards Mainstreaming Education (By Dr. Bekirogullari 2009). The study reveals tht the mainstreaming education is significantly below the USA level and it is only realized thanks to the meticulous efforts of the certain teachers giving mainstreaming education. A child, who engages in a well planned mainstreaming education, by observing the behaviours of the normal children and modeling himself on them, develops acceptable behaviours. Through individualized education programs they receive education suitable for their capacity and learning speed. Thanks to the supported education, their liabilities may soon improve and it facilitates gaining success and self-confidence for them (Vural;2004). The teachers contradict among themselves as while some participant special education teachers argue they should only be together during the courses supporting play skills the others said they believe these children would attain the same level by observing normal children and exhibiting their behaviours. It was determined that neither before nor during the mainstreaming education given in Cyprus, the teachers, school staff and administrators and parents of these children are not subjected to any education program. As normal individuals, the individuals with special needs also have the right to educational equality opportunity. These individuals can maintain their lives only if they become a part of the society. There two ways to realize the education for the individuals with special needs, the first of these is the education and the other is combined education. Self-contained education is realized by the special education staff and programs prepared according to the disability status of the children. However, combined education is the education given to the normal individuals and individuals with the special needs at the same time by regular education teachers. (Batu et. al.; 2005). While male mainstreaming teachers and special education teachers from the USA expressed their opinions on educational equality opportunity, none of other special educationalists and female mainstreaming teachers remarked on this subject. We realized that here in Cyprus there are not guidance teachers or special education professionals to help regular education teachers in the classrooms. The fact that there is not special education law in Cyprus, that necessary infrastructure works for mainstreaming and in-service training programs do not exist cause the classroom to start mainstreaming education be unprepared and know at the onset that failure lies ahead. The answers in the study show that the knowledge level of the special education teachers regarding the content and the functioning of mainstreaming education is lower than it should be and they need to develop immediately in this sense. As there are no special education professionals or guidance teachers in the classrooms in which mainstreaming education is given in Cyprus, in a case a problem with the disabled students, regular education teachers have trouble in communication and sometimes in controlling the class, the existence of guidance teachers or special educationalists proves itself essential. (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of Dr. Zafer Bekirogullari of Y.B.
