Purposeful Preparation

General and special education teachers are increasingly challenged by the prospect of collaborating in inclusive classrooms to meet the needs of all students. Unfortunately, few are prepared for such experiences. This study longitudinally explored elementary and special education pre-service teachers’ perceptions of inclusion as they partnered for a classroom management course and a field placement in K-5 classrooms. Statistical analyses of responses to the Attitudes toward Inclusion survey indicate statistically significant changes in the elementary pre-service teachers, but no change in the special education pre-service teachers. Implications for teacher educators are provided.

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