Attitudes, Beliefs, and Professional Behaviors Regarding Preschool Inclusion: A Director's Perspective

This study examines the attitudes, beliefs, and professional behaviors of preschool and daycare directors. More specifically, this study reveals how director's attitudes, beliefs, and professional behaviors have shaped the way they implement inclusion practices within their centers. The decision making theory of Herbert A. Simon (2000) provides the framework for this research. The primary data source for this study was interviews with current preschool and daycare directors, who include preschool aged students with special education needs into their centers. The research results informed multiple themes that emerged through uncovering detailed accounts of the attitudes, beliefs, and professional behaviors of childcare directors regarding preschool inclusion. These themes included: beliefs that have shaped the definition of inclusion, influence of background knowledge on preschool inclusion, the importance of communication through being present, the importance of culture within preschool inclusion, director's attitudes towards the importance of the role of family and teacher, how enrollment and acceptance procedures influence professional behaviors, and how staff retention creates barriers for consistency in preschool inclusion. While the results are limited to the perspectives of four childcare directors who participated in this study, they suggest that multiple factors within attitudes, beliefs, and professional behaviors play a role in how childcare directors make decisions to include children with special education needs into their center. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]