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DOI: https://doi.org/10.15507/1991-9468.26303.593-610

UDC 373.2

Preschool Inclusion: Factors Shaping Teachers’ Attitudes

Elena R. Iarskaia-Smirnova
Dr.Sci. (Sociol.), Professor, Head of the International Laboratory for Social Integration Research, HSE University (11 Pokrovskiy Bulvar, Moscow 109028, Russian Federation), ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3139-5215, Scopus ID: 6507960734, Researcher ID: I-5080-2015, SPIN-code: 7679-2047, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Elena V. Petrova
Research Intern of the International Laboratory for Social Integration Research, HSE University (11 Pokrovskiy Bulvar, Moscow 109028, Russian Federation), ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-5514-0155, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract
Introduction. The importance of developing an inclusive educational environment focused on ensuring equal development opportunities for all children determines the relevance of this study. The research problem is the lack of information on the conditions under which teachers’ attitudes toward inclusion in preschool education are shaped. The objective is to analyze the factors mediating preschool teachers’ attitudes toward the inclusion of children with special educational needs.
Materials and Methods. The study was conducted in the spring and summer of 2024 using an online survey of 2,595 preschool teachers from seven federal districts. The relationship between the respondents’ socio-demographic characteristics and integrated indicators of attitudes toward inclusion was examined using linear regression analysis. Respondents’ perceptions of the organizational environment were examined using principal component analysis. The Teacher Attitudes to Inclusion scale was used, along with an adapted 11-item questionnaire assessing teachers’ attitudes toward inclusion across three original subscales (MBI, QES, CAT).
Results. Respondents’ attitudes toward preschool inclusion were associated with their age, experience working with children under six, and education level. A regression model revealed a point effect of experience. Respondents in older age groups and with secondary vocational and general education demonstrated more positive attitudes across the subscales related to the educational process. Teachers’ attitudes are shaped by a trusting and democratic work environment and constructive interactions with various stakeholders, which in turn influences their effective response to the needs of students with special educational needs. Age and education level of respondents are significant predictors of attitudes, but elements of inclusive culture, practice, and policy play a key role: teachers’ ability to participate in shaping the organizational environment, listening to children’s and parents’ initiatives, and a respectful atmosphere within the institution.
Conclusion. This study opens up new perspectives on inclusion in preschool institutions in terms of management, practice, and culture. Further research will focus on a comparative analysis of inclusion models and strategies, monitoring the quality of the inclusive process by tracking the dynamics of social interactions among participants, teachers’ self-efficacy and cognitive flexibility, and parental satisfaction. The article will be useful to childhood specialists, parents, and researchers of inclusive education.

Keywords: preschool institutions, children with special educational needs, teachers’ attitudes toward inclusion, TATI scale, factors in building an inclusive environment

Funding: This article was prepared with the support of the HSE Fundamental Research Program (HSE-BR-2025-070).

Acknowledgments: The authors thank Filiz Polat PhD for permission to use the research instruments; I.K. Zangieva, Associate Professor, Senior Research Fellow, International Laboratory for Social Integration Studies, and Director of the Department of Sociology at HSE University and A. Lyamzina, a graduate student at HSE University, for their collaboration during the research process.

Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

For citation: Iarskaia-Smirnova E.R., Petrova E.V. Preschool Inclusion: Factors Shaping Teachers’ Attitudes. Integration of Education. 2026;30(3):593–610. https://doi.org/10.15507/1991-9468.26303.593-610

Authors’ contribution:
E. R. Iarskaia-Smirnova – formulation of research goals and aims; management activities to produce metadata for initial use and later re-use; acquisition of the financial support for the project leading to this publication; conducting a research and investigation process; development of methodology; management and coordination responsibility for the research activity planning and execution; provision of study materials; oversight and leadership responsibility for the research activity planning and execution; verification of the overall reproducibility of results and other research outputs; specifically writing the initial draft.
E. V. Petrova – conducting a research and investigation process; software development; verification of the overall reproducibility of results and other research outputs; specifically visualization; specifically writing the initial draft.

Availability of data and materials. The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study are available from the authors on reasonable request.

All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.

Submitted 03.10.2025;
revised 20.03.2026;
accepted 27.03.2026.

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