A meta-analysis of master's theses examining teacher attitudes towards integrated education

Inclusionary education stands out as one of the basic components of inclusive education, and the number of studies conducted in this field is increasing day by day. This study aims to reveal the general trends in the field of inclusive education by examining master's theses conducted in the field with the meta-analysis method and to provide a holistic evaluation of the effects of inclusive education. In the selection of the theses to be included in the meta-analysis within the scope of the research, first of all, it was taken into consideration that they contained quantitative data and that there were sufficient studies on the subject. In addition, criteria such as the studies meeting the specified year criteria (2014-2024) and having common statistical data (sample size, mean and standard deviation) were also taken into consideration. In accordance with these criteria, 13 master's theses addressing the general attitudes of teachers towards inclusion practices, 23 examining teacher attitudes about inclusion education according to the gender factor, 11 on the impact of the presence of individuals with special needs in the family or close environment on teacher attitude, 12 on the status of inclusion education and 11 on the status of inclusion students in the classroom were included in the research. Data were analyzed using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) and Jamovi (MAJOR module) software. As a result of the analyses, while teachers' general attitudes towards inclusive education have a great impact according to Cohen's d classification, no statistically significant differences were found in all variables of gender, the presence of individuals with special needs in the family or in the immediate environment, the teacher's participation in inclusive education, and the presence of inclusive students in the classroom, which are predicted to affect teacher attitudes towards inclusive education. These results also indicate that there may be inconsistencies in the findings due to the different sample structures, contexts and methodological approaches of the studies in the literature. When we look at the studies on inclusion education, it is seen that they generally focus on issues such as attitudes, the effectiveness of inclusion education, application methods and the difficulties encountered in this process. Therefore, this study was conducted in order to address teacher attitudes towards inclusion education from a broader perspective and to evaluate the implementation processes and results more effectively. In order for the studies to shed light on the future, the quality and number of academic studies that provide a holistic perspective on inclusion education can be increased. In order to see the effect size of the studies, the meta-analysis method is preferred and the findings are reviewed and necessary arrangements can be made by reviewing the in-service training practices and teaching strategies. Keywords: Inclusion Education, Meta Analysis, Special Education, Classroom Education