Understanding teachers’ concerns about inclusive education Monika Yadav 1 • Ajay Das 2 • Sushama Sharma 1 • Ashwini Tiwari 3 Received: 24 January 2015 / Revised: 30 October 2015 / Accepted: 5 November 2015 / Published online: 12 November 2015 Ó Education Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea 2015 Abstract This study examined the concerns of regular elementary school teachers in Gurgaon, India, in order to work with students with disabilities in inclusive education settings. A total of 175 teachers responded to a two-part questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The data indicated that the teachers in Gurgaon, overall, were a little concerned about imple- menting inclusive education in their schools. Significant difference existed in teacher concerns whether they taught in government versus privately managed schools. Impli- cations are discussed to address teacher concerns for inclusive education in India. Keywords Concerns Á Inclusion Á Teachers Á Disabilities Á India Introduction Educational systems across the world have been experi- encing major changes in the last four decades. One of them is related to the increase in the diversity of school popu- lations (Hettiarachchi and Das 2014). Classrooms are becoming more heterogeneous as a result of a worldwide movement toward the inclusion of students with special educational needs within ordinary or general education settings. It should be noted that although the inclusion movement exists in both developed and developing coun- tries, the implementation of this school change varies not only among nations, but also within nations (i.e., states and districts). This is especially the case in India where there are vast differences in urban and rural areas, states that have per capita incomes significantly higher than those where a vast majority of the population lives below poverty line and the states in north-eastern part of India that have not benefitted as much with the recent economic boom. While inclusion as a theory has been largely welcomed, there is a school of thought which expresses reservations as to whether the ordinary classroom can provide optimal quality education for children with disabilities. A decisive issue is how students can be ensured optimal education in accordance with her/his capabilities and needs. But it is widely recognized that segregated education that was being largely followed the world over during the eighties and early nineties has not brought about the desired results (Ince 2012). Although an earlier common misconception was that inclusion is just about placement of students with diverse learning needs in general education classrooms, more recently, researchers argue that it is much more than placement (e.g., Winter 2006). It is about the quality of the school experience and about how far they are helped to learn, achieve and participate fully in the life of the school (Pachigar et al. 2011). The success of the inclusion movement depends on many factors, including needed revisions and changes in policies, regulatory systems and administrative structures, and the availability of materials and resources. In particular, it depends on the foot soldiers, namely skilled classroom teachers. The hallmark of inclusive education is the teachers’ willingness to accept students with special needs. Imple- menting inclusive education is not an easy task and requires significant changes to facilitate improvements in & Ajay Das adas@murraystate.edu 1 Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, India 2 3239 Alexander Hall, College of Education and Human Services, Murray State University, Murray, KY 42071, USA 3 University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, TX, USA 123 Asia Pacific Educ. Rev. (2015) 16:653–662 DOI 10.1007/s12564-015-9405-6