“Inclusion Is Great in Theory”: A Mixed-Methods Investigation of Shifts in Preservice Teachers’ Attitudes and Self-Efficacy
Publication Date
1-1-2025
Document Type
Article
Publication Title
American Journal of Education
DOI
10.1086/736325
Abstract
Purpose: Building preservice teachers’ capacity to ground their practice in inclusive frameworks represents a potential driver for rectifying inequitable access to high-quality learning, particularly for students receiving special education services. To do so, teacher educators must possess a deep understanding of how preparatory experiences shape future teachers’ pedagogical beliefs and self-efficacy to enact equity-centered, inclusive practices. In this study, we explore preservice special educators’ dynamic and context-driven attitudes about inclusion and their self-efficacy to enact inclusive pedagogy as they progressed through a Curriculum and Instruction course. Research Methods: We conducted a mixed-methods bounded case study with preservice teachers working toward their teaching licenses. We analyzed survey data, open-ended responses, written reflections, and teaching artifacts collected throughout the semester-long course. We used a mixed-methods findings integration technique to generate meta-inferences. Findings: Results indicated that preservice teachers’ views about equity-centered inclusion evolved throughout the course, and that perceived institutional barriers influenced the malleability of their beliefs. Our convergent analysis foregrounded a tension between beliefs and practices as participants grappled with enacting course content amid the realities of K–12 classrooms. Implications: By tracing the complex processes whereby preservice teachers developed their perceptions of inclusive pedagogy, we identified focal areas for future policy and discourse. Through our discussion, we offer a nuanced lens for considering the complexities of teachers’ attitudes toward inclusion. We conclude with implications for preparing educators to identify and address inequities within and beyond special education.
Department
Special Education
Recommended Citation
Rebecca A. Cruz, Allison R. Firestone, Matthew Love, and Elisa Stone. "“Inclusion Is Great in Theory”: A Mixed-Methods Investigation of Shifts in Preservice Teachers’ Attitudes and Self-Efficacy" American Journal of Education (2025). https://doi.org/10.1086/736325
