Abstract:

This study examines the levels of critical thinking and moral reasoning among university students in Slovakia preparing for the teaching profession and explores their attitudes toward inclusive education. The research focuses on identifying relationships between critical thinking, moral reasoning, and multidimensional attitudes toward inclusion in future teachers. Data were collected from a sample of 250 student teachers using standardized instruments: the Watson–Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal, the Defining Issues Test (DIT), and the Multidimensional Attitudes Toward Inclusive Education Scale (MATIES). The results indicate a generally low level of critical thinking among future teachers, accompanied by low levels of post-conventional moral reasoning and a predominance of conventional morality. Overall attitudes toward inclusion were predominantly positive; however, significant differences were identified across individual attitude dimensions. Positive values were observed in the cognitive and behavioral dimensions, suggesting acceptance of inclusive principles and willingness to engage in inclusive practices. In contrast, the affective dimension revealed a more negative trend, particularly regarding feelings of frustration, anger, and nervousness associated with adapting educational processes for students with special educational needs (SEN). Relational analyses revealed that higher levels of critical thinking were associated with lower scores in attitudes toward inclusion, specifically within the cognitive dimension. No significant relationship was found between critical thinking and the affective component, while only a very weak negative relationship was identified in the behavioral dimension. Furthermore, conventional moral reasoning did not significantly predict positive or negative attitudes toward inclusion in any dimension. These findings highlight the need for targeted development of critical thinking and moral reasoning in teacher education programs, as well as for systematic integration of both theoretical and practical aspects of inclusive education within higher education curricula.

Keywords:

Critical thinking, moral reasoning, attitudes toward inclusion, pre-service teachers, inclusive education.