Exploring the Perceptions and Attitudes of Teacher Effectiveness Regarding Student Achievement in an Inclusive Classroom Environment: A Phenomenology

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions and attitudes of teachers regarding their effectiveness in meeting the needs of students in an inclusive classroom environment. The theory guiding this study was Bandura’s self-efficacy theory, which applies to teachers’ perceptions and attitudes in teaching in an inclusive classroom setting. The central research question for this study was: What are teachers’ perceptions and attitudes toward teaching students with special educational needs in an inclusive classroom environment? The research questions addressed teachers’ perceptions regarding their effectiveness and ability to meet the needs of students in an inclusive classroom environment. This study’s design was a qualitative transcendental phenomenological research design utilized to gain insight and explore teachers' lived experiences in a secondary inclusive classroom setting in the state of Georgia. Ten secondary teachers teaching in the central Georgia region were selected to participate in this study through purposeful sampling. Data were collected through individual interviews, two focus groups, and journal prompts. Qualitative data analysis procedures were utilized to achieve triangulation and analysis of the data to identify emerging themes, data synthesis, and describe the essence of the shared phenomenon. Five themes emerged during the data analysis procedure; teacher preparation process, level of support, barriers to successful inclusive education practices, general and special educators’ perceived self-efficacy, and overcoming challenges to successful inclusive education. The findings identified the need for effective teacher preparatory programs with practical experience and professional development geared toward inclusive practices.