Using a longitudinal study design, two Teacher Education Universities from Austria (Upper Austria and Vorarlberg) are examining student teachers’ and in-service teachers´ attitudes, concerns and self-efficacy beliefs regarding the implementation of inclusive education (Feyerer et al., 2014). The aim of the study is to help in identifying factors supporting the development of positive teachers’ attitudes and competencies for inclusive schooling. To date, as sustained in international research, teacher education doesn’t address these demands sufficiently (De Boer, Pijl & Minnaert, 2011). As a result of the current major reform in the Austrian teacher education system, which entails removing Special Needs Programs and integrating them into regular teacher education programs (European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education, 2014), this study aims to reveal the role of teacher education regarding inclusive teaching. Between 2011 and 2013, quantitative and qualitative data was collected in the first part of the study among 1,532 student teachers during their teacher education course. The results showed rather enhancing, positive attitudes and self-efficacy beliefs, but also increasing concerns especially towards students with severe disabilities and/or behaviour problems (Hecht et al., 2016). The findings were interpreted as an awareness for inclusive education keeping in mind both the benefits and challenges of inclusive education. By conducting a new study in 2017/2018 and relaunching a second measurement point 5 years later, changes in attitudes, concerns and self-efficacy beliefs will be addressed. The study is aimed at investigating to what extent attitudes and self-efficacy beliefs can be considered stable. Having experienced the transition from teacher education courses to real school contexts on the one hand, and having a longstanding career on the other, the beginning teachers and the experienced teachers are expected to show differentiated perspectives on inclusion as well as fostered self-efficacy beliefs. As in the previous phase, the study will use both quantitative (Forlin, Earle, Loreman, & Sharma, 2011) and qualitative methods. The database will be enriched with group discussions. The latter should reveal a deeper understanding about the interesting variables and will provide a mixed methods design. The study is currently in its implementation phase. The presentation will focus on how the factors of interest are developing, changing or remaining based on teaching experience.

De Boer, A., Pijl, S.J. & Minnaert, A. (2011). Regular primary schoolteachers´ attitudes towards inclusive education. Journal for Inclusive Education, 15 (3), 331-353. European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education (2014). Profile of Inclusive Teachers. Retrieved from //www.european-agency.org/agency-projects/Teacher-Education-for-Inclusion/profile. Feyerer, E., Dlugosch, A., Niedermair, C., Reibnegger, H., Hecht, P. & Prammer-Semmler, E. (2014). Einstellungen und Kompetenzen von LehramtsstudentInnen und LehrerInnen für die Umsetzung inklusiver Bildung. Forschungsprojekt BMUKK-20.040/0011-I/7/2011. Endbericht. Retrieved from http://www.ph-ooe.at/fileadmin/Daten_PHOOE/Inklusive_Paedagogik_neu/Sammelmappe1.pdf. Hecht, P., Niedermair, C. & Feyerer, E. (2016). Einstellungen und inklusionsbezogene Selbstwirksamkeitsüberzeugungen von Lehramtsstudierenden und Lehrpersonen im Berufseinstieg – Messverfahren und Befunde aus einem Mixed-Methods-Design. Empirische Sonderpädagogik, 1, 86-102. Forlin, C., Earle, C., Loreman, T. & Sharma, U. (2011). The Sentiments, Attitudes and Concerns about Inclusive Education Revised (SACIE-R) scale for measuring pre-service teachers´ perceptions of inclusion. Exceptionality Education International, 21 (2&3), 50-65.