Are in-service teachers supported in Hong Kong? Teachers’ perceived support needs in the implementation of inclusive education

This study examines how well in-service teachers in Hong Kong (N = 1,110) are supported in their efforts to teach in inclusive classrooms. It also examines the psychometric properties of the newly developed Teachers’ Perceived Support Needs scale to measure in-service teachers’ perceived support needs. Factors that predict teachers’ perceived support needs are also identified. The exploratory factor and confirmatory factor analyses revealed two factors: ‘support in using inclusive teaching strategies’ and ‘support in expert guidance’. The results show that the Hong Kong in-service teachers felt under-supported in implementing inclusive education. The experience teaching students with disabilities, level of confidence, level of training, gender and school type emerged as significant predictors of their perceived support needs in inclusive education.