Predictors of Self-Efficacy for Inclusive Education: A Comparison of Canada and Germany

Abstract

This study investigated group and individual differences in beginning secondary school teachers’ self-efficacy for the inclusive classroom in Canada and Germany. This research complements previous Canadian and German research that compared the self-efficacy of pre-service teachers in each country, as well as those experiences that contributed to their self-efficacy. In the current study, 110 Canadian and 90 German beginning teachers completed the Teacher Efficacy for Inclusive Practice scale and the Beliefs About Learning and Teaching Questionnaire and described their experience with diverse populations. As a group, Canadian teachers were higher in their self-efficacy for implementing inclusive instruction and for engaging in collaboration with families and colleagues. The groups did not differ on self-efficacy for managing behaviour, though males felt more efficacious than females. Overall, country accounted for 18% and 11% of the variance in self-efficacy for inclusive instruction and for collaboration, respectively. Additional individual differences in self-efficacy for instruction and for managing behaviour were accounted for by participants’ experiences with diverse populations. Finally, participants’ beliefs that aligned with student-centred approaches accounted for unique variance in self-efficacy for inclusive instruction and collaboration. Results are discussed in the context of prior research and possible considerations for teacher education programs.