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Investigating Principals’ Beliefs and Intentions Toward the Inclusion of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder
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- Author / Creator
- Hall, Shaun F.
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The purpose of this study was to improve our understanding of what influences principals’ intentions toward including children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in general educational settings. With the incidence of ASD on the rise (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012), neighbourhood schools are faced with the challenge of including these students on a more regular basis. Using Ajzen’s (1991) Theory of Planned Behaviour (TpB) the relationships between principals’ attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control and intentions towards inclusive education of children at three levels of ASD severity were examined through a web-based questionnaire completed by 67 principals. Findings revealed that principals were significantly more comfortable including students with ASD who are less severely affected by the condition. As predicted by Ajzen’s TpB, perceived control and attitude had significant influence over principals’ intentions towards including children with ASD. Discussion focuses on implications for practice and areas for future research.
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- Graduation date
- Fall 2012
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- Type of Item
- Thesis
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- Degree
- Master of Education
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- License
- This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.