Investigating teacher attitudes of disability using a non-traditional theoretical framework of attitude

It is widely known that attitudes have a direct relationship to teacher actions in the classroom; therefore, gaining an understanding of teacher knowledge and attitudes with regard to students with disabilities is an essential step in improving the educational outcomes and school experiences of these students. There has been an increase in investigations into teacher attitudes of disability in recent years. Many of these studies used traditional theoretical frameworks as a basis for research instrument development, and investigation of attitudes towards teaching students with disabilities. These studies often viewed attitude as a single entity, which can distort the depiction of these attitudes in the realm of special education. This paper outlines how a theoretical framework of attitude, developed by Van Aalderen-Smeets et al. (2012) for the investigation of primary school teachers' attitudes toward science, can be applied to research in the area of special education, and disability research. It argues that this framework is the most appropriate for the investigation into teacher attitudes towards students with disabilities and should serve as the theoretical basis for future research in this area.