Sources of Teacher Self-Efficacy in Teacher Education for Inclusive Practices

Abstract

Abstract Self-efficacy concerns the individual’s beliefs in their ability to perform certain activities and influences the level of determination and effort involved. This study aimed to investigate whether teacher education courses for inclusive practices, involving sources of self-efficacy, produce effects on teacher self-efficacy. Thirty-six teachers participated; part of them took part in the course on inclusion of students with intellectual disabilities and the others on inclusion of students with giftedness. The courses stood out for their indissolubility between theory and practice and joint reflexive analysis of videos with successful inclusive educational situations, in order to involve social persuasion and vicarious experiences. The effects of the teacher education were evaluated with the Teacher Efficacy for Inclusive Practices Scale, in the versions Intellectual Disability and Giftedness. The results revealed that there was an increase in teachers’ self-efficacy, in order to indicate the potential of the sources of self-efficacy addressed in teacher education.

Keywords

• special education
• inclusive education
• self-efficacy
• teacher education