A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TEACHERS’ AND PARENTS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS INCLUSIVE EDUCATION OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS: A STUDY IN MALDA DISTRICT, WEST BENGAL

The present study aims to investigate and compare the attitudes of teachers and parents towards inclusive education of children with special needs in Malda District, West Bengal. The study adopts a descriptive survey method, which is appropriate for analysing attitudes, perceptions, and opinions of a specific population. The population includes all school teachers and parents of children with special needs in Malda District. The sample of the present study consisted of a total of 100 respondents (50 teachers and 50 parents) from Malda District, West Bengal. A structured Likert scale questionnaire, namely the Attitude towards Inclusive Education Scale, was used as the primary tool to measure the attitudes of teachers and parents towards inclusive education of children with special needs. Statistical techniques such as mean, standard deviation, t-test, and correlation were applied. The findings reveal that teachers possess a more favourable attitude than parents, and female teachers show more positive attitudes compared to male teachers. The study highlights the need for awareness programmes and professional training to strengthen inclusive education.