Investigation of Turkish teacher candidates' attitudes towards individuals with special needs

This thesis aims to examine the attitudes of prospective Turkish language teachers toward individuals with special needs. The primary objective of the research is to reveal how teacher candidates' perceptions of these individuals are shaped during the educational process and what factors influence them. Accordingly, the study was conducted using both quantitative and qualitative methods. In the research, the attitudes of prospective Turkish language teachers toward individuals with special needs were analyzed based on variables such as gender, grade level, whether they had taken special education courses, and whether they held a higher education degree. The findings indicated that candidates generally exhibited positive attitudes; however, these attitudes showed significant differences depending on the variables in question. Male candidates demonstrated higher sensitivity and negative attitude scores compared to female candidates, while those who had taken special education courses developed more positive attitudes than those who had not. Additionally, it was observed that as the level of education increased, sensitivity scores rose, and negative attitudes decreased. The research highlighted that the anxiety and concerns of teacher candidates about working with individuals with special needs tend to increase when they lack sufficient knowledge and experience in special education. In light of these findings, it is recommended to increase the number of special education courses, enrich their content, and develop programs that allow teacher candidates to interact directly with individuals with special needs. In conclusion, this study emphasizes that the attitudes of prospective Turkish language teachers toward individuals with special needs can directly impact these individuals' success in educational processes. Developing positive attitudes among teacher candidates plays a critical role in creating an inclusive educational environment. In this context, it is of great importance to structure education to raise awareness in this area. Key Words: Attitudes, Inclusion, Teachers, SpecialNeeds, Education.