Teachers opinions towards the integration of students with special needs in mass education

• Author: Nicoleta Lupu
• Position: Special School, Brasov, Romania
• Pages: 29-36

Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov

Series VII: Social Sciences • Law • Vol. 10 (59) No. 1 - 2017

TEACHERS OPINIONS TOWARDS THE

INTEGRATION OF STUDENTS WITH

SPECIAL NEEDS IN MASS EDUCATION

Nicoleta LUPU1

Abstract: The present article is a qualita tive research which responds to

the following question: ‘What is teachers’ opinion on integration of students

with special needs in normal schools?’ A group interview method was used to

answer this question. Ten respondents, teachers in urban high school and

middle school level attended the focus group. The results showed a positive

attitude towards inclusion. The results represent a starting point for future

research on the attitude of teachers towards integration.

Key words: Integration, attitude, students with special needs.

1. Introduction

To understand the attitudes of teachers towards disabled students integrated in mass

education, we consider it necessary to explain the concepts of "integration" and "attitude".

According to Verza (1998) integration represents a way of achieving normalization.

Normalization means ensuring conditions for children with special needs similar to those

for normal children. Gherguţ (2001) recalls about a functional normalization (ensuring

specific conditions to persons with deficiencies), a social normalization (membership of a

small group) and a societal reconstruction (widening social group towards public life).

Verza (1995) defines the school integration as a process of adjustment of the child to the

school's requirements he or she attends to. School integration according to Gherguț

(2001) involves the inclusion of student with special needs in learning activities and

school participation, depending on the potential, alongside other children. An interesting

approach of the concept of integration is provided by the same author, which recalls what

is not integration (Gherguț, 2006). Therefore, integration does not mean to isolate

children with special needs in special classes of the school, or keeping them isolated from

the rest of the class, without getting them involved in learning activities. Integration does

not mean accepting children with special needs in mass schools just for benefits, without

the necessary training and support.

In terms of attitude, Allport (1959) defines the attitude as the subject's stance toward

another subject, object, or situation. Larousse (1998) explains that the concept of attitude

covers various meanings. There are personal attitudes that put in question only the

individual, and social attitudes that have an impact on the groups, both having in common

a set of personal reactions toward a determined object: animal, person, idea, or thing.

1 Special School, Braşov, Romania, gheorghenicoleta22@yahoo.com