Abstract

This is a qualitative study that aimed to determine the perspectives of academicians, educators, and educator candidates on inclusive education practices. Interviews were conducted with fifty-one participants on the issues of barriers, opportunities, and the importance and benefits of inclusive education practices during early childhood. The participants consisted of undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate students from the departments of child development and education, early childhood education, elementary teacher education, special education, and psychological counseling as well as academicians and teachers who work in these areas. Content analysis was used to analyze the data. The results were presented under three main themes consistent with the interview issues: the barriers, opportunities, and importance and benefits. The participants stated that they have encountered many barriers in inclusive education practices. They particularly underlined the problems they experienced in terms of prejudices-attitudes-thoughts, the inefficiency of educators, support services, law-system national policies, and physical conditions.