Effects of the Teacher Training Program (TTP) on Teacher Awareness and Readiness in Secondary School Inclusive Classrooms

Abstract

This study investigated a Teacher Training Program (TTP) proposed to enhance the awareness and the readiness of general educators in inclusive settings in secondary schools in Malaysia. As the study used the quasi experimental design, it needed an experimental and a control group of regular teachers for the investigation. The aim of this research was to examine if the intervention (experiment) on the experimental group was effective. The intervention comprised five modules covering significant areas for improving the teaching and learning process in inclusive classrooms. The five modules were first evaluated by three experts in special education in the Faculty of Education, University of Malaya, before the intervention. The subjects in the control and experimental groups were general educators from two secondary schools where inclusive education had been implemented. The instrument used was a questionnaire encompassing domains such as teacher awareness and teacher readiness to handle diverse students in an inclusive classroom. Exploratory Factor Analysis and the pilot testing of the instrument released positive results, underpinning the validity and the reliability of the instrument. The data analysis upon intervention revealed statistically significant results which clarified that the Teacher Training Program (TTP) was effective. The general educators participating in the experiment also evaluated the presentations and the module content favorably. Since the sample chosen was a true representative of the larger population of general educators in inclusive settings the findings of the study can be safely generalized.