Abstract
This study utilized a survey design to examine early childhood educators (ECE) and early childhood special education (ECSE) teachers' perspectives and attitudes towards inclusive education. Thirty teachers participated in this study which included 16 ECE teachers and 10 ECSE teachers within two school districts in Northern California. Data was collected through Qualtrics, a web-based survey program provided by the two authors’ university. Descriptive analysis of the data revealed that ECE and ECSE teachers held positive attitudes towards inclusive education with conditional themes contributing to the slight differences in ECE teacher’s attitudes about pedagogical approaches in inclusive preschool classrooms. Specifically, ECSE teachers are more confident in their abilities to work with students with disabilities compared to ECE teachers. Finally, with regards to professional development on inclusive education, training on positive behavior strategies was primarily requested by all teachers. This research has the potential to connect the gap in the sparse studies relating to the perspectives of educators in preschool about inclusion in the United States and shed light on the importance of ECE and ECSE teachers' attitudes towards providing inclusive preschool education for all students. Implications for future practices include professional training for in-service and preservice preschool teachers, particularly on understanding and supporting student behavior for all teachers and developing inclusive practices, especially for ECE teachers. Further research in this area will provide support to early childhood teachers as the continuum of service in special education moves towards a more inclusive practice, and provide students with disabilities greater access to a least restrictive environment (LRE) in inclusive preschool settings.