Attitudes Towards Inclusive Education for Students with Special Educational Needs: A Study on Chinese Primary School English Teachers

Inclusive education aims to provide equitable learning opportunities by integrating students with diverse learning needs into mainstream classrooms. Research shows that inclusive education benefits the academic, social, and emotional growth of students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and fosters typically developing peers’ understanding and acceptance of diversity. This study explores the attitudes of 172 Chinese primary school English Language Teaching (ELT) teachers towards SEN inclusion. A structured questionnaire was used to examine cognitive, affective, and behavioural dimensions of attitudes, as well as teachers’ perceptions of barriers and strategies for enhancing inclusive practices. Results indicate generally neutral attitudes with a slight positive inclination towards inclusion, and the varying degrees of these attitudes are significantly influenced by teachers’ professional training and working conditions. Regarding barriers, although foundational support for inclusive policies exists in China, substantial challenges remain, including inadequate training, systemic difficulties, and limited resources. Additionally, while exposure to inclusive environments and professional development helps prepare teachers to support students with SEN, excessive demands without sufficient support may lead to burnout. Thus, balanced professional expectations and adequate resources are essential for sustainable inclusive education, which can be further enhanced by collaborative and experiential learning approaches highly valued by teachers.