Swedish Final Year Early Childhood Preservice Teachers’ Attitudes, Concerns and Intentions towards Inclusion

This article explores ninety-seven (n¼97) Swedish Early Childhood (EC) preservice teachers’ attitudes, concerns, and intentions to include children with disabilities in regular classrooms. A six-part self-reporting questionnaire was used to examine participants’ attitudes, concerns, efficacy, and intentions toward inclusion. The results showed that although the Swedish EC preservice teachers’ in this study expressed’some’ concern about working with children the results indicated a high degree of teacher efficacy. To determine predictors of participants’ intentions and use of inclusive practices a series of regression analysis were undertaken. Knowledge of local legislation emerged as significant predictor of participants’ intention scores. Teaching efficacy scores were significant predictors for both intention and use of inclusive practices. The results are discussed in the context of the Swedish idea ‘a school for all’ with a focus on the Swedish preschool teacher education program.