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Pre-Service Teachers' Attitudes Toward Inclusion In A Non-Traditional Classroom, Julie K. Ivey Ph.D., Kathryn Reinke Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of 52 pre-service teachers’ participation in an outdoor education program, for sixth grade students, on their attitudes toward inclusion of students with special needs. A survey was administered before and after the three-day event. After the experience the subjects felt more familiar with the concept of inclusion and realized possible conflicts between expectations of regular classroom teachers and special education teachers. This suggests that experiences in outdoor settings, a learning environment not usually explored, can influence pre-service teachers’ attitudes toward inclusion of students with special needs as well as make …