Testing peer-clinical supervision as a support system for regular classroom teachers with mainstreamed handicapped children

Purpose. Educating special students in the least restrictive environment has been promoted by parents of handicapped children, supported by experts in the field of special education, and mandated by federal law. The regular classroom teacher is viewed as a key component for successfully mainstreaming handicapped youth. Only if the regular teacher is amenable to the integration of problem learners into the regular class will such a placement be a viable educational alternative for the special student. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the potential of peer-clinical supervision, implemented as a support system, for improving regular teachers' attitudes toward mainstreaming. [...]