This paper reports on the findings from a nation-wide research project. The purpose of this research was to explore the roles of teachers who work in the area of special education in mainstream schools. The focus in this paper is on the perceptions of primary and post-primary teachers regarding their roles as support agents for the inclusion of students with special educational needs in mainstream settings. The research sought to identify similarities and contrasts between primary and post primary teachers regarding their roles and self-identity. These were further explored in relation to the school context. This research project was prompted by the increasing diversity of students with special educational needs attending mainstream schools, the legislative obligation to ensure that these students have an education appropriate to their needs and the on teachers roles subsequent to these changes.

The research used a multi-method approach, providing qualitative and quantitative overviews and analyses of teachers’ roles in the area of special education from the perspective of teachers and other stakeholders. Data collection involved focus groups, interviews and questionnaires and was analysed using SPSS and MAXQDA.

The information presented in this paper draws on questionnaire responses from over eight hundred teachers, and the qualitative data emerging from twenty interviews and eight focus groups. The findings are pertinent to the exploration of teachers' changing roles and identities at a national and international level.