Date
4-29-2026
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)
Chair
Jeffrey Savage
Keywords
inclusive education, Native American, co-teaching, teacher attitudes, rural schools
Disciplines
Education
Recommended Citation
Caudle, Angela Silver, "Native and Non-Native American Teacher Attitudes Towards Inclusive Special Education Based on Role: A Quantitative, Causal-Comparative Study" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 8173.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/8173
Abstract
The purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative study was to examine whether teacher role (general vs. special education) and self-identified ethnicity (Native American vs. non–Native American) were associated with teachers’ attitudes toward inclusive special education in rural schools in a southern U.S. state. Understanding whether role and ethnicity correspond to differences in attitudes toward inclusion is important for informing staffing, collaboration, and professional learning in rural contexts. Participants included 91 teachers (63 general education, 28 special education). Attitudes were measured with the Multidimensional Attitudes Toward Inclusive Education Scale. Data were collected via an electronic Qualtrics survey. A two-way analysis of variance tested the main and interaction effects of role and ethnicity on attitudes. Results indicated no statistically significant main or interaction effects. These findings suggest that, in this sample, attitudes toward inclusion were not differentiated by role or self-identified ethnicity. Future research should replicate with larger and more diverse samples and examine additional predictors (e.g., self-efficacy, collaboration structures, contextual supports) that may better explain attitudes and implementation.
