Inclusion in kindergarten? The concept of disability and inclusive education among pre-service early childhood educators
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7146/ejie.v4i1.158294Keywords:
Children with disabilities, inclusion, early childhood education and care (ECEC), pre-service teachers, contact experiencesAbstract
Context: Despite extensive research on school teachers’ attitudes, the perspectives of early childhood educators have been largely overlooked. Studies suggest that positive attitudes toward inclusion and a social understanding of disability are essential for identifying barriers, promoting participation and successfully implementing inclusive practices. Despite extensive research on school teachers’ attitudes, the perspectives of early childhood educators remain underrepresented
Methods: This study surveyed 126 pre-service educators from three Bavarian vocational schools using a mixed-methods design. While quantitative data examined attitudes toward inclusion and agreement to the social model of disability, qualitative insights were drawn from semi-structured interviews.
Findings: Confirmatory factors analysis supported the reliability of the social understanding of disability scale, while the inclusion scale did not reach acceptable fit levels. Participants showed positive attitudes toward support and social integration, but had neutral to slightly negative views of the social model of disability. A structural equation modelling showed a good fit to the data and indicated that social contact with individuals with disabilities positively influenced the agreement to the social model of disability, though such contact was infrequent (CMIN/df = 1.38, CFI = .96, IFI = .96, TLI = .93, RMSEA = .05). This relationship was mediated by parental educational background. Interview data showed that participants felt underprepared for implementing inclusive practices, primary understood disability through medical lens and are more in favour of segregated groups rather than inclusive groups.
Conclusion: Pre-service educators support inclusion but feel insufficiently trained and do not see themselves as responsible for implementing inclusive practices. Social contact and family educational background show small positive effects on adopting a social understanding of disability, highlighting the need for training programs to provide meaningful interactions with individuals with disabilities and strengthen preparation for inclusive early childhood education.
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