Author: Jo Shearer
Shearer, Jo, 2023 An Explanatory Mixed Methods Study of South Australian Preservice Teachers’ Self-Efficacy and Preparation for Disability-Inclusive Education, Flinders University, College of Education, Psychology and Social Work
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South Australian preservice teachers’ self-efficacy and preparation to practice disability-inclusive education was explored using an explanatory mixed methods research design. Bandura’s self-efficacy theory was the framework for interpreting self-efficacy and preparation was linked to graduating teachers’ requirements to meet the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) Professional Standards of Teachers at the graduate level. The Teachers Efficacy for Inclusive Practices (TEIP) scale was used to measure self-efficacy and a purposefully designed scale was used to measure professional standards preparation, with opportunity for the research participants to provide further comments via the on-line survey and follow-up interviews. Course documents were also analysed for their prevalence of content related to teaching students with disability. The analyses were integrated and the findings have been discussed in the context of meta-inferences. This sample of preservice teachers were highly efficacious and ready for disability-inclusive teaching but they also provided valuable comments on how ITE courses could be improved.
Keywords: inclusive education, preservice teacher self-efficacy, preservice teacher preparation, teaching students with disability, mixed methods methodology, initial teacher education, disability-inclusive education, disability-inclusive teaching
Subject: Education thesis
Thesis type: Doctor of Philosophy
Completed: 2023
School: College of Education, Psychology and Social Work
Supervisor: Associate Professor Kerry Bissaker