Parents' and teachers' attitudes towards inclusive education in selected Basic Schools of Kalulushi District of Zambia.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitudes of parents and teachers towards inclusive education in 20 selected basic schools of Kalulushi Disrict on the Copperbelt Province. Descriptive survey design was used, in which quantitative and qualitative methods were used. A sample of 200 respondents was selected from the 20 schools. There was 100% return rate. However, seven questionnaires were incomplete and wrongly answered while 193 (96.5%) of them were completed and correctly answered.
Data were collected using questionnaires and semi structured interviews. Data collected using questionnaires was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) while data from interview were analyzed qualitatively by coding and grouping similar themes together into categories using constant comparative techniques. After the analyses
of data, tables of frequencies and percentages were used in the examination and
presentation of data. The findings of this study revealed that attitudes of parents and teachers varied considerably. Parents and special education teachers had negative attitudes towards inclusive education. Ordinary teachers and head teachers, on the other hand, had positive attitudes towards inclusive education. In addition, the study revealed that there was a relationship between attitudes towards inclusive education and disabilities. Those who
had negative attitudes towards inclusive education were also found to have negative
attitudes towards persons with disabilities. Conversely, respondents with positive attitudes towards inclusive education were found to have somewhat positive attitudes towards persons with disabilities. Factors that influenced negative attitudes included lack of teaching-learning materials and
management support as well as lack of appropriate training for teachers.
Other factors included large classes, examination oriented syllabuses, rigid timetables and lack of commitment to inclusive policies by government. Respondents who had positive attitudes towards inclusive education were influenced by factors such as inclusive education as a right, inclusive education policies, and good management support. Other factors were those related to avoidance of exclusion and segregation, respect for human choices and values as well as cost effectiveness of inclusive education.The study also revealed that respondents with more liberal social views had more positive attitudes towards inclusive education than those with predominantly conservative views.
The findings of this study were in line with Kerlinger's attitudinal generalisations which explain people's complex thinking regarding attitudes (Kerlinger, 1984).