Factors that contribute to Teachers' Self-Efficacy for Inclusive Teaching: :A Thematic Analysis
Abstract
Having a strong sense of self-efficacy for teaching has been shown to be associated with numerous positive benefits for both teachers and the students that they teach. As such, researchers have been interested in identifying factors and experiences that contribute to a strong sense of self-efficacy for teaching. However, very few studies have investigated these factors qualitatively and even fewer have compared the experiences of pre-service and early career teachers. This study examines the life experiences of pre-service and early career teachers, and how these experiences contribute to their self-efficacy for teaching within inclusive classrooms. Forty-nine pre-service and 86 early career teachers were interviewed and asked about their confidence for teaching within inclusive classrooms. Interviews were coded and analyzed using thematic analysis. The experiences which contributed to participants’ self-efficacy fell into three themes: 1: Practical, hands-on teaching experiences, such as directly teaching within a classroom, 2: theoretical learning and professional development such as the coursework taken within faculties of education, and 3: Past experiences such as previously worked jobs. Implications for both faculties of education and school administration, as well as how these experiences fit within the larger theory of self-efficacy are discussed.