How Do Attitudes and Self-Efficacy Predict Teachers' Intentions to Teach in Inclusive Classrooms? A Cross-National Comparison Between Canada, Germany, Greece, Italy, and Switzerland

• In Event: Inclusive Education: Canada’s Connection to the World

Abstract

Inclusive education is a key goal of modern educational reforms, yet its implementation is complex. Understanding what drives teachers to adopt inclusive practices is crucial for promoting equal educational opportunities for all students. Attitudes toward inclusive education and self-efficacy in using inclusive practices have been identified as important factors in this regard. However, there exists considerable variability in their relative importance across studies and teacher samples, with teacher attitudes being sometimes less or more important than teacher self-efficacy, and with diverging patterns across countries. Country-specific differences (e.g., in school systems and in history, legislation and implementation of inclusive education) have been used to explain such differences. However, few studies assessed measurement invariance of the attitude and self-efficacy instruments to ensure comparability of results across countries.

This study examines the roles of teacher attitudes and self-efficacy in predicting their intentions to teach in inclusive classrooms across five Western countries and included teachers from Canada (n = 283), Germany (n = 255), Greece (n = 200), Italy (n = 325), and Switzerland (n = 144) (total N = 1207 teachers). Multi-group confirmatory factor analyses and multi-group structural equation models were used to assess measurement invariance of the measured constructs and prediction patterns of teachers’ intentions across the five countries.



The study identified both significant differences and commonalities in prediction patterns across these countries. For instance, the significance of beliefs about inclusion varied considerably, serving as the most influential predictor among Italian teachers. Conversely, self-efficacy in collaboration consistently emerged as the most reliable predictor of teachers' intentions to teach inclusively across all countries. The study results therefore highlight three important aspects: 1) The prediction of teachers’ intentions by attitudes and self-efficacy toward inclusion may be shaped by country-specific factors (such as the level of support provided to teachers and the nature of teacher training); 2) it is important to consider domain-specific aspects of teacher self-efficacy, as not all facets are equally predictive of teachers' intentions; and 3) enhancing collaboration within school communities is vital for fostering inclusive practices.

Authors

• Caroline Sahli Lozano, University of Bern

• Sergej Wüthrich, Bern University of Teacher Education