Preparing Teachers for Inclusion: Jordanian Preservice Early Childhood Teachers' Perspectives

Abstract

This study was conducted during a period of national educational reforms in Jordan to investigate Jordanian preservice early childhood teachers' attitudes toward inclusion and the adequacy of their current preparation for implementing inclusion. The study also sought to identify the perceived concerns of preservice early childhood teachers about inclusion in early childhood settings in Jordan. A qualitative interpretive methodology was employed and an interview protocol was used to collect data from 20 participants recruited from two large universities in Jordan: the University of Jordan, and the Hashemite University. All 20 participants were undergraduate seniors in general early childhood education. Data analysis followed pattern coding and cross-case analysis. Three major themes emerged through data analysis, and these are presented in relation to the study's research questions. The themes are: attitudes toward inclusion, preparation to implement inclusion, and concerns about inclusion. Implications and recommendations for practice and research are offered and discussed in light of the study findings.