Teacher self-efficacy of future physical education teachers in contexts of inclusion in basic education

Abstract

This study investigated the level of teacher self-efficacy of future Physical Education teachers to the inclusion in Physical Education classes and its relation to the source of physiological and affective states, as well as the personal and contextual variables. The participants were 188 Physical Education undergraduate student teachers from two universities in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The participants were between 18 and 38 years old (M = 22.6) and 51,6% were male. Data were collected through a questionnaire of characterization, self-efficacy scale for the inclusion of students with disability In Physical Education classes and, the sources of the teacher self-efficacy scale. The data, analyzed by means of descriptive statistics, revealed that the participants presented moderate levels of teacher self-efficacy for inclusion in Physical Education classes, being the inclusion of students with physical disability the dimension with the highest mean score. Physiological and affective states were related more powerfully to inclusion of students with intellectual disability than with physical and visual disability. Physiological and affective states were more strongly related to the inclusion of students with intellectual disabilities than to those with physical or visual disabilities. Given the relevance and regularity that inclusion has been present in Physical Education classes, it is essential that teacher education programs are able to offer opportunities for future teachers to acquire experiences that are fundamentally essential in building, strengthening and trusting their own competencies, in order to promote inclusion in regular school classes.