Exploring Attitudes towards Disability Representation in Primary School Textbooks: Insights from Italian Teachers

Resumen

In the field of education, teachers' attitudes and beliefs regarding the portrayal of disability in instructional materials, such as textbooks, play a crucial role in shaping their educational practices. These attitudes are influenced by various factors, such as teaching experience and professional roles. In this study, we developed a 13‐item questionnaire to assess the attitudes of 304 primary in‐service school teachers from Italian public schools towards the representation of disability in textbooks. The findings of our study revealed that teachers with more teaching experience and special needs teachers held more favorable attitudes towards the representation of disability in textbooks. This highlights the significance of promoting special education skills, valuing the educational and training aspect of textbooks, and fostering positive collaboration among colleagues, as these factors can positively influence teachers' attitudes towards the inclusion of disability representation in instructional materials. The study underscores the importance of examining teachers' attitudes towards the portrayal of disability in instructional materials, as these attitudes can significantly shape educational practices and contribute to creating an inclusive culture in schools.