Self-Efficacy and Attitudes of Physical Education Teachers towards Inclusion of Pupils with Disabilities

The aim of the research was to investigate teachers' self-efficacy and attitudes towards inclusion of pupils with disabilities in mainstream education. The research group consisted of 253 physical education teachers (125 male and 128 female) with an average age of 40.52 +/- 10.69 working in primary (62%) and secondary (38%) Slovak schools. To obtain empirical data, the standardized questionnaire methods SE-PETE-D and PEATID-III were used. In the analysis of self-efficacy, using the Mann-Whitney U test, significant differences were found in practical experience with pupils with disabilities and (a) teachers' self-efficacy (p <= 0.01) and (b) their attitudes (p <= 0.05). The same significant differences (p <= 0.05) were found between participation in APA/APE courses and both (a) self-efficacy as well as (b) attitudes. Moreover, the research found the same significant differences (p <= 0.01) between the type of disability and both (a) self-efficacy and (b) attitudes. A significantly positive correlation with a moderate relationship between teachers' self-efficacy and their attitudes towards pupils with disabilities (p <= 0.01) were also found. Based on our findings, recommendations with specific proposals for physical and sports education practice were formulated.