Investigating Preschool Teachers’ Self-Efficacy in Inclusion Practices in Turkey

Osman Ozokcu

doi:10.5539/ies.v11n9p79

Abstract

This study investigated preschool teachers’ self-efficacy levels in inclusion practices in terms of teacher-related demographic variables. The study was designed as a descriptive survey study using quantitative data collection tools. The participants were 318 teachers who are working in preschool educational institutions in the province of Malatya, Turkey. The Teacher Efficacy for Inclusive Practice (TEIP) Scale, which was developed by Sharma, Loreman, and Forlin (2012) and whose validity and reliability studies were carried out by Bayar (2015), was used to determine preschool teachers’ self-efficacy in inclusive practices. The study found that the preschool teachers scored 4.91 out of six points on the TEIP scale, which measures self-efficacy in inclusion practices. The preschool teachers’ age, gender, educational level, and level of interaction with individuals with special needs were not found to affect their scores on the scale significantly; however, their levels of special education training, knowledge of local laws and policies, self-confidence in working with disabled individuals, and experience in working with disabled students were found to affect their scores significantly. The findings of this study were discussed with possible implications for teachers in Turkey.

Highlights

In the last twenty-five years, teachers and families have focused their attention on inclusion practices in Turkey
The first laws and practices regarding inclusive education in Turkey were began with the Law for Children Who Need Special Education in 1983 (The Ministry of National Education [MoNE], 1983) and the placement of children with special needs in general classrooms has been accelerated since (Sucuoğlu, 2004; Sucuoğlu et al, 2014)
The t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were performed to determine whether the self-efficacy scores on inclusion practices of the classroom teachers differed significantly according to demographic variables

Summary

Introduction

In the last twenty-five years, teachers and families have focused their attention on inclusion practices in Turkey. There has been a rapid increase in the number of students with special needs in general schools (MoNE, 2006). The literature has reported that preschool teachers need more knowledge in order to meet the needs of their students with special needs and that they do not see themselves as sufficiently capable of teaching them effectively (Akalın, Demir, Sucuoğlu, Bakkaloğlu, & İşcen, 2014; Batu, 2010; Crane-Mitchell & Hedge, 2007; Gök & Erbaş, 2011; Huang & Diamond, 2009; Odom & Bailey, 2001; Soodak, Erwin, Winton, Brotherson, Turnbull, & Hanson, 2002; Sucuoğlu et al, 2014)

Objectives

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Conclusion