Comparing Pre-Service Teachers’ Attitudes toward Inclusive Education in Thailand and Japan

Background: Several studies have shown that classroom teachers can strongly influence the implementation and potential success of inclusive education (IE). Therefore, assessing teachers/pre-service teachers’ attitudes toward IE with an objective scale is a key issue for many academic publications. This study compared differences in pre-service teachers’ attitudes toward IE between Thailand and Japan and discussed these differences mainly from the perspective of differences in their educational systems for children with disabilities. Method: This study’s survey utilized a modified version of the Attitude Toward Inclusion Instrument. The study participants were 109 and 221 pre-service teachers who were enrolled in teacher preparation programs in Thailand and Japan, respectively. Result: The basic concepts and ideologies of IE were similarly and widely accepted in both countries. However, Thai pre-service teachers were more likely to strongly perceive that education in special schools would have a negative impact for students with disabilities and that IE would have a positive impact. On the other hand, Japanese pre- service teachers had a more negative perception of the feasibility of IE compared to Thai teachers. Discussion: We attributed this result to the difference in the popularity and credibility of special education in the two countries. Japanese pre-service teachers held a more positive attitude toward special education compared to their Thai counterparts. However, this attitude may have caused Japanese pre-service teachers to become more concerned about IE, which could be a barrier to expanding IE in Japan.