Prepared to Ensure Quality Education for All? A Comparative Study of Pre-Service Teachers’ Self-Efficacy for Inclusion in Spain and the United States
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development calls for quality, inclusive education for all through Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4). Given the central role of teachers in achieving this goal, this study examined (1) whether pre-service elementary teachers develop self-efficacy for inclusive te...
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| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Education Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/15/5/535 |
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| author | Cristina Miralles-Cardona María-Cristina Cardona-Moltó Renáta Tichá Brian H. Abery |
| author_facet | Cristina Miralles-Cardona María-Cristina Cardona-Moltó Renáta Tichá Brian H. Abery |
| author_sort | Cristina Miralles-Cardona |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development calls for quality, inclusive education for all through Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4). Given the central role of teachers in achieving this goal, this study examined (1) whether pre-service elementary teachers develop self-efficacy for inclusive teaching by graduation and (2) whether self-efficacy varies according to the type of teacher education program (general vs. dual) and the opportunities provided to learn inclusive teaching strategies. Using a non-experimental, cross-sectional comparative design, we surveyed 330 pre-service elementary teachers in the United States and Spain, enrolled in two distinct teacher education pathways. Participants completed the Teacher Self-Efficacy for Inclusive Practice (TEIP) and Opportunity to Learn to Teach Inclusively (OLTI) scales. Results revealed moderate levels of self-efficacy for inclusive teaching overall. Spanish participants in general teacher education programs reported significantly lower self-efficacy than U.S. participants in dual certification programs. Regardless of program type, those with greater opportunities to learn inclusive teaching strategies reported significantly higher self-efficacy. Notably, opportunity to learn was found to moderate the relationship between program type and self-efficacy. These findings highlight the critical role of practice-based opportunities in developing teachers’ confidence in inclusive education. Embedding such opportunities in teacher preparation is essential for advancing sustainable, inclusive education systems worldwide. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e4c2cb06be834cbd940d55de7a39df20 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2227-7102 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Education Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-e4c2cb06be834cbd940d55de7a39df202025-08-20T03:14:41ZengMDPI AGEducation Sciences2227-71022025-04-0115553510.3390/educsci15050535Prepared to Ensure Quality Education for All? A Comparative Study of Pre-Service Teachers’ Self-Efficacy for Inclusion in Spain and the United StatesCristina Miralles-Cardona0María-Cristina Cardona-Moltó1Renáta Tichá2Brian H. Abery3Faculty of Education, University of Alicante, 03690 Alicante, SpainFaculty of Education, University of Alicante, 03690 Alicante, SpainInstitute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN 55414, USAInstitute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN 55414, USAThe 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development calls for quality, inclusive education for all through Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4). Given the central role of teachers in achieving this goal, this study examined (1) whether pre-service elementary teachers develop self-efficacy for inclusive teaching by graduation and (2) whether self-efficacy varies according to the type of teacher education program (general vs. dual) and the opportunities provided to learn inclusive teaching strategies. Using a non-experimental, cross-sectional comparative design, we surveyed 330 pre-service elementary teachers in the United States and Spain, enrolled in two distinct teacher education pathways. Participants completed the Teacher Self-Efficacy for Inclusive Practice (TEIP) and Opportunity to Learn to Teach Inclusively (OLTI) scales. Results revealed moderate levels of self-efficacy for inclusive teaching overall. Spanish participants in general teacher education programs reported significantly lower self-efficacy than U.S. participants in dual certification programs. Regardless of program type, those with greater opportunities to learn inclusive teaching strategies reported significantly higher self-efficacy. Notably, opportunity to learn was found to moderate the relationship between program type and self-efficacy. These findings highlight the critical role of practice-based opportunities in developing teachers’ confidence in inclusive education. Embedding such opportunities in teacher preparation is essential for advancing sustainable, inclusive education systems worldwide.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/15/5/535inclusive educationinitial teacher preparationSDG4teacher self-efficacyinclusive teachinginternational studies |
| spellingShingle | Cristina Miralles-Cardona María-Cristina Cardona-Moltó Renáta Tichá Brian H. Abery Prepared to Ensure Quality Education for All? A Comparative Study of Pre-Service Teachers’ Self-Efficacy for Inclusion in Spain and the United States Education Sciences inclusive education initial teacher preparation SDG4 teacher self-efficacy inclusive teaching international studies |
| title | Prepared to Ensure Quality Education for All? A Comparative Study of Pre-Service Teachers’ Self-Efficacy for Inclusion in Spain and the United States |
| title_full | Prepared to Ensure Quality Education for All? A Comparative Study of Pre-Service Teachers’ Self-Efficacy for Inclusion in Spain and the United States |
| title_fullStr | Prepared to Ensure Quality Education for All? A Comparative Study of Pre-Service Teachers’ Self-Efficacy for Inclusion in Spain and the United States |
| title_full_unstemmed | Prepared to Ensure Quality Education for All? A Comparative Study of Pre-Service Teachers’ Self-Efficacy for Inclusion in Spain and the United States |
| title_short | Prepared to Ensure Quality Education for All? A Comparative Study of Pre-Service Teachers’ Self-Efficacy for Inclusion in Spain and the United States |
| title_sort | prepared to ensure quality education for all a comparative study of pre service teachers self efficacy for inclusion in spain and the united states |
| topic | inclusive education initial teacher preparation SDG4 teacher self-efficacy inclusive teaching international studies |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/15/5/535 |
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