Linking Attitudes, Self-Efficacy, and Intentions for Inclusion Among Secondary Special Education Teachers
A Pooled Exploratory Factor Analysis
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22047368 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Eleftheria Beazidou (0000-0003-0648-5515, University of Thessaly), Natassa Raikou (0000-0001-8608-7597, University of Thessaly), Evaggelos Foykas (0009-0001-3872-6945, University of Thessaly) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 195 |
| Publication date | 2026-01-27 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Education Sciences (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2227-7102 • E-ISSN: 2227-7102 |
| Publisher | MDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT) |
| DOI | 10.3390/educsci16020195 |
| OpenAlex | W7125853544 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 42 |
The growing emphasis on inclusive education highlights teachers’ attitudes and self-efficacy as interrelated yet distinct correlates of inclusive teaching. Building on prior literature that underscores their conceptual proximity, this study aimed to examine how teachers’ views on inclusion relate to their self-reported intentions and perceived self-efficacy for inclusive teaching. Given the cross-sectional, self-report design, the study addresses associations among attitudes, perceived self-efficacy, and intentions, rather than enacted inclusive practice. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 323 Greek secondary special education teachers using three validated and culturally adapted instruments: the Attitudes toward Inclusive Education Scale (AIS), the Inclusive Classroom Teaching Intentions Scale (ITICS), and the Teacher Efficacy for Inclusive Practices Scale (TEIP). Pearson correlation analyses revealed strong within-instrument associations, indicating good internal coherence, and moderate cross-instrument associations, suggesting meaningful but not redundant relationships between attitudes, intentions, and self-efficacy. To further explore the latent structure, an Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) of AIS, ITICS, and TEIP items yielded a four-factor solution explaining 56.14% of the variance: Attitudes toward Inclusive Education, Intentions to Teach in Inclusive Classrooms, Self-efficacy for Behavior Management, and Self-efficacy for Collaboration and Professional Support. This study advances the field by clarifying how teachers’ attitudes, self-efficacy, and intentions covary, thereby informing the development of more targeted and theoretically grounded interventions
Data collection · Exploratory factor analysis · Exploratory research · Self-efficacy · Special education · Collaborative Teaching and Inclusion · Inclusion and Disability in Education and Sport · Teacher Education and Leadership Studies
Measuring teacher efficacy to implement inclusive practices
Teachers’ Beliefs About Inclusive Education and Insights on What Contributes to Those Beliefs
Promoting inclusion and equity in education
The theory of planned behavior
An Index of Factorial Simplicity
Evaluating the use of exploratory factor analysis in psychological research.
Perceived Behavioral Control, Self‐Efficacy, Locus of Control, and the Theory of Planned Behavior 1
Facilitating teachers’ inclusive education intentions
Will an app-based reading intervention change how teachers rate their teaching self-efficacy beliefs? A test of social cognitive theory in Swedish special educational settings
Mapping the Integration of Theory of Planned Behavior and Self-Determination Theory in Education
Teachers’ Understanding of Implementing Inclusion in Mainstream Classrooms in Rural Areas
Supporting Teacher Professionalism for Inclusive Education
Transformative Potential in Special Education
Teachers’ Attitudes towards Inclusive Education at Greek Secondary Education Schools
A Whole Education Approach to Inclusive Education
Development and validation of a short form of the Teacher Efficacy for Inclusive Practices Scale ( Teip‐SF )
The theory of planned behavior
A scoping review of perceived support needs of teachers for implementing inclusive education
Teacher efficacy predicts teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion – a longitudinal cross-lagged analysis
Factors explaining teachers’ intention to implement inclusive practices in the classroom
Predicting in-service educators' intentions to teach in inclusive classrooms in India and Australia
Teacher self-efficacy and inclusive education practices
Meta-analysis of the relationship between teachers’ self-efficacy and attitudes toward inclusive education
Predictors of teachers’ intention to implement inclusive education
Applying the theory of planned behaviour to examine teachers' intentions to teach in inclusive classrooms and their inclusive practices
Scale Development Research
Teachers' attitudes towards inclusion and views on self‐efficacy and classroom practices regarding inclusive education
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |