The Social-Behavioural Divide: Secondary School Teachers’ Attitudes Toward Inclusive Education in North Macedonia
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Aim. This study examines secondary school teachers’ attitudes towards inclusive education in North Macedonia, focusing on factors influencing those attitudes, including gender, education level, teaching experience, training in inclusive education, frequency of teaching students with special educational needs (SEN), positive experience with SEN students, and self-efficacy for inclusive teaching. Methods. A total of 259 secondary school teachers participated in the study. The Attitudes Toward Inclusive Education Scale (ATIES) was used to assess teachers’ attitudes across four dimensions: physical, academic, behavioural, and social inclusion. A brief five-item self-efficacy scale was also administered. Statistical analyses included a repeated measures ANOVA to compare attitudes across dimensions and four multiple linear regression models to examine predictors of each ATIES dimension. Standardised beta coefficients and average marginal effects were reported. Results. Teachers expressed slightly positive overall attitudes towards inclusive education (M = 3.05, SD = 0.810), with social inclusion rated highest and behavioural inclusion lowest. Regression analyses showed that self-efficacy and frequency of teaching students with SEN were significant positive predictors across all four ATIES dimensions, while teaching experience was a significant negative predictor in three dimensions and gender was significant only for Social attitudes. Education level, inclusive-education experience, and previous positive SEN experience were not significant predictors. Conclusions. Secondary school teachers in North Macedonia expressed slightly positive but differentiated attitudes towards inclusive education. Self-efficacy and frequency of SEN teaching emerged as the most consistent predictors across inclusion dimensions, highlighting the importance of practice-oriented support and regular classroom engagement.
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7214440098