Abstract:

Nowadays inclusive education is a common keyword characterizing long-term education reform process in many EU countries. The process is based on scientific findings confirming the idea that the cultural aspects in educational institutions in compliance with the specific needs of the individual forms the basis of essential conditions for the effective implementation of inclusive education, where each person's individuality is accepted and respected. This requires the development of an inclusive community, where the extension of teachers' professional functions as well as their personal competence is of utmost importance. This means that in the context of planning and implementation of the educational process teachers do not just teach subjects, but also respect the individual needs of heterogeneous pupils.

One of the strategic goals of the study is to get involved in a broader international research context, therefore a widely accessible research instrument has been used. Another goal is to develop research capacity in Latvia, as there are research studies focusing more on the aspects of an inclusive environment than issues concerning personal attitudes.

Therefore, the following research questions have been put forward in the study:
1) What are the attitudes of teachers towards the inclusion of children with mild and moderate disabilities, and
2) What factors can be associated with the attitudes of teachers towards the inclusion of children with mild and moderate disabilities.

A pilot study was conducted, in order to test the research process and protocol, as well as identify the variables of interest. The method of questionnaire has been used that includes the three components – cognitive, affective and behavioural, in evaluating attitudes of teachers towards inclusion and reveals the understanding of the concept in the cultural context of Latvia.

The results of the study reveal the teachers` personal competence as one of the most important resources in the quality assurance of the inclusive education process and its outcomes. Personal attitude as one of the competence aspects is essential in the professional complex of knowledge and skills, characterized by each individual's personal conviction in the value of inclusive concept for the improvement of social living conditions.

Keywords:

Inclusive education, pupils with special needs, teachers` personal competence.