Conceptions of Mathematics Teachers about the Inclusion of Students with Autistic Spectrum Disorder

Teachers conceptions, as a component of their cognition, determine inclusive decisions and actions in the mathematics classroom at a time when the number of students with autism spectrum disorder has increased in school systems around the world. This study investigated mathematics teachers conceptions about the inclusion of students with autism spectrum disorder. An empirical-analytical paradigm was used based on the design and application of a questionnaire with a demographic component and a 70-item Likert scale. The informants were 110 volunteer mathematics teachers from different levels in public or private schools in Colombia. The results suggest that teachers generally have positive conceptions about the school inclusion of students with autism spectrum disorder, but the conceptions are not as positive when they refer to the inclusion of these students in mathematics classes. This study suggests the need for ongoing teacher training to appropriately address school inclusion in mathematics classes.