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Teachers are increasingly required to include students with disabilities in mainstream classroom settings. In order to effectively prepare pre-service teachers to address the needs of all students in the classroom, including students with disabilities, teacher-training programs must utilise effective pedagogy. Service-learning has been shown to be an effective pedagogy to employ to address the knowledge/learning needs of pre-service teachers. This chapter will build upon the use of service-learning to increase knowledge and will discuss the importance and practice of also developing positive attitudes towards students with disabilities. The Theory of Planned Behaviour (Azjen, 2002) is utilised as a basis for developing the service-learning program, and exemplifies three main elements as being necessary to bring about behavioural change: behavioural beliefs, normative beliefs and control beliefs. The pre-service teachers described in this chapter are completing a special education specialisation at a tertiary institution, and are required to complete a service-learning unit as a component of the specialisation. Reflection, an important requirement for service-learning programs, allows the researcher to determine if the goals of the program have been met, and how these outcomes relate to the Theory of Planned Behaviour and the potential they may have to bring about behavioural change for the pre-service teachers. Six main themes were identified in the pre-service teacher reflections. These themes were further divided into two main categories: affective (empathy, personal growth, confidence); and cognitive (knowledge, skill development, enhanced professional practice). Links between the pre-service teacher reflections and the Theory of Planned Behaviour suggest that the service-learning experience is beneficial for developing pre-service teachers who are more inclined to address the needs of students with disabilities.

The purpose of this paper is to examine how the direct and indirect factors of the elaborated theory of planned behaviour (TPB) relate to teachers’ intentions and use of technology in teaching.

The current study attempted to provide an understanding of teachers’ beliefs and intentions to use technology in teaching, and their influence on behaviours by applying and elaborating Ajzen’s TPB, a widely applied model for investigating social behaviour.

The elaborated TPB model was found to be a marginally fitting model in predicting and explaining intention and behaviour. The model explained only 17 per cent of variance in intention and 13 per cent in use of technology. Teacher’s use of technology in teaching was predicted by intention and perceived behavioural control (PBC); and intention was predicted by attitude towards the technology and PBC. Subjective norms made weak prediction on intention. The TPB model of direct factors explained 25 per cent of variance in intention and 16 per cent in use of technology.

This study takes a theoretical modelling approach, based on a survey assessing psychological variables (such as teachers’ beliefs, attitudes, and perceptions) to explain teachers’ technology use in the classroom. The theoretical approach of this study is new within studies of computer technology use, which have normally been limited to reporting user demographic characteristics and/or factors influencing its use among users. This study attempted to develop measurement models that might be replicated by other researchers interested in the influencing factors for teachers’ technology use in education.

Research on homework has typically focused on students’ beliefs, commitment to, and benefits of doing homework, but what about the influence of school policies and teachers’ beliefs and attitudes on the topic? Do schools with stricter rules and a clearer focus have teachers giving more homework? Are teachers who believe in the virtues of homework as a learning device and a convenient means for communicating with the home more likely to give, collect, mark, and return homework to students than teachers who see no benefits? This study developed a valid, reliable instrument, the homework attitude and behaviour inventory for teachers (HABIT), and administered it to 120 teachers in two schools with a clear, focused homework policy, and two without. Findings were that schools with a well‐defined homework policy had teachers who: gave, collected, marked, and returned homework significantly more often; and believed in the usefulness of these assignments. Multiple regressions showed a significant relationship between beliefs about homework, the homework behaviours, and the types of assignments made (repeat classwork, introduce new materials, explore new ideas, pursue imaginative topics at home). Regressing homework attitudes and school policies against teacher homework behaviours produced an adjusted R‐square of 49.5 (p < 0.001).

This chapter will provide an overview of the types of concerns that are evident in the research literature regarding how well teachers are prepared to teach in inclusive classrooms citing both preservice education and in-service professional development/learning. It will present an overview of the measurements that have been used to measure teachers’ perceptions of preparedness for inclusive environments and the use of surveys to assess attitudes, beliefs, and values. The chapter will conclude with a discussion regarding measuring teachers’ perceptions to inform/improve teacher preparation efforts/policies/practices and what needs to be done to improve teacher preparation for inclusive education.

The purpose of this paper is to show, from a theoretical perspective, how lesson study (LS) can initiate processes that have an effect on most fundamental teachers’ (and teacher–students’) personal beliefs which are the basis of a teacher’ interactions. On the basis of research referring to educational beliefs and good practice, the paper’s approach is to bring underlying beliefs into relation to Pierre Bourdieu’s sociocultural concept of the habitus. Awareness of these unconscious fundamentals is a requirement for improvement. Developing a professional habitus will allow inappropriate beliefs to be changed by informed knowledge. LS can support that.

This is a theoretical paper aiming at illustrating the potential of LS to initiate learning and reflection among teachers, and challenge and ultimately affect deep ranging beliefs. Guided by the idea that beliefs are not only a random collection acquired in a biography, the paper applies the Bourdieuian idea of habitus and field, suggesting habitus as the origin and source of beliefs and, therefore, ultimately of classroom practice. The paper defines LS as a tool in teacher education that has the potential to make teachers change inappropriate concepts by reflecting on their habitus and develop a more professional habitus.

Research agrees that teachers’ decisions and actions are strongly rooted in their unconscious beliefs, which have accumulated during their biographies, especially during their own school days whereas informed knowledge is neglected. The Bourdieuian theory of habitus is a heuristic concept that provides an integrative social perspective on beliefs as both a part and a result of a teacher’s habitus. Reflection on practice and teacher cooperation is essential for teacher learning. LS is an ideal setting providing these essentials, and the paper finds that the negative effects of habitus-rooted unconscious beliefs and practices can be affected by developing awareness through LS.

This paper aims at bringing together Bourdieu’s sociocultural theory of habitus and field, and LS. Inappropriate beliefs guiding practice can hinder informed knowledge on education to be integrated. An analysis of the habitus as the foundation of beliefs can create awareness of the effects resulting from biographical and social sources in both pre- and in-service teacher training. Rather than changing single beliefs, developing a professional habitus allows to integrate informed knowledge and affect a lasting change. The Bourdieuian approach opens up a new perspective of the capacity of LS and makes a relevant contribution in developing a professional habitus.

This study explores how lesson study (LS) can promote elementary Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) teachers’ professional development (TPD) in terms of new pedagogical practices, attitudes and beliefs in the maker education (ME) context.

This is a case study of a LS conducted in China involving four primary school teachers, 20 grade-4 students, and one researcher who also acted as a facilitator. This study adopted an integrated model that combined the unique characteristics of Chinese LS (CLS) with the Dutch LS (LSNL) model.

This study revealed that LS participation facilitates teachers’ integration of new ME pedagogical practices in their classrooms, while their attitudes and beliefs regarding teaching and learning are increasingly aligned with ME principles. However, challenges such as time constraints, lack of research skills, and insufficient learning resources have also been identified.

This was a small-scale study, which may limit the generalizability of the findings.

This study expands the use of LS in the ME context by highlighting its effectiveness in enhancing teachers’ PD in terms of new pedagogical practices, attitudes, and beliefs. It also recommends incorporating diverse international LS models to address the limitations associated with localized models of TPD.

The originality of this study lies in its adoption of an integrated LS model to enhance STEM teachers’ PD in an ME context. The findings of this study further strengthen evidence supporting the positive impact of LS on teachers’ PD.

This chapter discusses Icek Ajzen’s contribution of Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) to understandings of teacher attitudes and actions in relation to inclusive practices. The discussion explores why some educators are successful in including students with disabilities in regular classrooms and others are not and considers the role of educators’ attitudes in determining their actions when they teach. The chapter proceeds to discuss the role of TPB in teacher education that supports inclusive practices and also identifies some of the drawbacks of the existing research on attitudes within the field of inclusive education. The chapter highlights how TPB theory continues to have significant relevance in a range of areas related to teacher and inclusive education.

Research studies have documented the proliferation of partnerships between universities and school districts in the Unites States. University faculty members in the School of Education at a small regional campus located in the Midwest have partnered with one of the largest school districts in its service area to provide professional development (PD) to school staff on building Cultural Proficiency and providing Culturally Responsive Instruction. To date nearly 200 teachers, counselors, and administrators have attended PD workshops designed collaboratively with targeted school and district personnel and facilitated by university faculty. This chapter will chronicle the development of this partnership including PD topics, feedback from participants, and the future needs of the school district, pre-service and in-service teachers, and School of Education faculty.

We explored social studies teachers’ dispositions towards working with immigrant students in an Atlantic new gateway state. We surveyed 99 middle and high school social studies teachers using the additive versus subtractive models as a theoretical framework. Although teachers’ professional backgrounds and school contexts were connected to teaching inclusively, their academic expectations of immigrant students, their beliefs on assimilation (regarding schools’ and teachers’ roles in maintaining heritage cultures and languages), and their opinions on the effective implementation of school policies concerning immigrant students’ learning were significant contributors to teaching inclusiveness.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impact of training on educational staff attitudes, sentiments, concerns and efficacy in providing support for children with Autism in mainstream settings.

The investigation adopted a pre-test/post-test, quasi-experimental, within-subject research design. In total, 35 early years educators, teachers and pupil support assistants from one Scottish Local Authority (LA) undertook training delivered by the LA’s Communication and Language Outreach Service. Measures included the Sentiments, Attitudes, and Concerns about Inclusive Education Revised (SACIE-R) scale and the teacher efficacy for inclusive practices (TEIP) scale pre and post-training. Post-training participants completed a questionnaire employing open and closed questions to assess perceived usefulness of training, application of knowledge and effectiveness of the teaching strategies.

Combining data from the three sectors there was a significant change in staff efficacy for inclusive practices (z=−3.406, p=0.001, p<0.05, with a medium effect size r=0.41) although there were differences between the sectors. There was a significant change in SACIE-R total scores (z=−3.945, p=0.000, p<0.05; with a medium effect size r=0.47), sentiments (z=−2.763, p=0.006, p<0.05; with a medium effect size r=0.33) and concerns (z=−3.685, p=0.000, p<0.05; with a medium effect size of r=0.44) subscale scores for the combined sector data. There was no significant change in the attitudes subscale scores for the combined sector data (z=−1.106, p=2.69, p>0.05; with a small effect size r=0.13) although there were differences between the sectors.

Limitations include: small sample size, minor differences in the training in different sectors, purposeful sampling, use of questionnaire post-training, variability of completion of SCAIE-R and TEIP post-training.

There appears to be limited research into inclusive practices for children with Autism in the UK context, which this study aims to address.