Ayalew, Moges (PhD)Yilma, Assel2019-09-032023-11-192019-09-032023-11-192018-11http://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/12345678/18958The purpose of this research is to assess teachers’ attitude towards the inclusion of students with autism in Addis Ababa in the general education classroom highlighting individual teacher characteristics and factors that can potentially be in agreement or disagreement with inclusion. To this end, mixed methods of research approach were employed where explanatory sequential mixed methodsof design, which quantitative (survey) and qualitative (phenomenological) research design or strategies were implemented respectively.Interview questions ware used as data gathering tools. The responses were interpreted and analysed using descriptive, ANOVA and post-hoc comparison analysis methods. Data were collected from a strata formed containing two from each setting governmental, private local and private foreign schools with a population of 375 teachers, then out of the strata formed 180 randomly selected sample for the survey and 10 participant for the interview question through a demographic questionnaire and a modified version of the Teacher Attitudes toward Inclusion Scale (TATIS, Cullen, Gregory& Noto, 2010) and using interview questions for the purpose of triangulation. Teacher attitude toward inclusion of students with autism as measured by the modified TA TIS was overall positive. A statistically significant result was noted with the TATIS Full Scale score and the following teacher characteristics: severity level of autism and having basic autism training. A statistically significant difference was noted between regular and special education teachers and between governmental and private school teachers when assessing teachers’ attitude towards the inclusion of children living with autism. At last the researcher recommended that there should be a support system that can reduce regular teacher exhaustion to teach autistic student with different levels of severity, that regular and special need teacher must be provided with adequate formal and basic training, government should strengthen special need program and produce more special need teacher trained specifically towards the disability and provide enabling resource and setting and at last but not least incentives and acknowledgment for teachers working with these student are few recommendation given which can remedy the situation at hand.enEducationThesis