The Special Education Efficacy of Teachers in Regular Classes in the Context of Inclusive Education

Abstract

As inclusive education gains momentum globally and within China, general classroom teachers are pivotal to its successful implementation. Grounded in Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy, this study investigates the current state, influencing factors, and enhancement strategies for the self-efficacy of general education teachers in inclusive classrooms. Utilizing a sequential exploratory mixed-methods design, the research first conducted semi-structured interviews with 18 teachers to gather rich qualitative data, which informed the development of a quantitative questionnaire assessing four key dimensions of efficacy: classroom management, instructional strategies, home-school collaboration, and professional collaboration. The findings reveal that while teachers employ adaptive strategies like differentiated instruction and technology integration, their efficacy is significantly challenged by insufficient specialized training, large class sizes, limited parental collaboration, and inadequate institutional resources. The study concludes that bolstering teacher self-efficacy requires a multi-level approach, proposing concrete recommendations for continuous teacher professional development, enhanced school support systems, and strengthened policy guarantees to foster a more effective and sustainable inclusive education environment.