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.

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