Personal Determinants of Psychological Readiness for Inclusive Education among Practicing Teachers

Abstract

The effective implementation of inclusive education is substantially associated with teachers’ psychological readiness,
which constitutes a multifaceted construct. The present study aimed to examine the relationship between practicing teachers’
readiness for inclusive education and its personal and professional determinants. Specifically, the study sought to investigate the
associations of teachers’ empathy and professional burnout, as well as professional experience and training experience related to
inclusive education, with different components of readiness for inclusive education. The study involved 80 practicing teachers
from public and private schools in Georgia. Measures assessing readiness for inclusive education, empathy, and professional
burnout were employed. Statistical analysis of the obtained data revealed no statistically significant associations between
teachers’ general empathic disposition and the components of readiness for inclusive education. However, professional burnout
was found to be associated with perceived barriers to implementing inclusive education, feelings of incompetence, and
professional uncertainty. Furthermore, teachers who had participated in training related to inclusive education demonstrated
significantly lower levels of skepticism and professional uncertainty compared with teachers who had not participated in such
training (p < .05). Neither teaching experience nor educational level was found to have a significant effect on the level of
readiness for inclusive education. The findings indicate that readiness for inclusive education is not determined solely by
teachers’ capacity for empathy but constitutes a complex construct shaped by interconnected personal and professional factors.
The results suggest that teachers’ professional well-being and professional preparation are important factors contributing to
readiness for inclusive education. These findings highlight the importance of targeted professional preparation and ongoing
professional support for teachers to ensure the effective implementation of inclusive education.