Prepared to Ensure Quality Education for All? A Comparative Study of Pre-service Teachers’ Self-efficacy for Inclusion in Spain and the United States

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Author(s)
Cristina Miralles-Cardona, Maria Cardona-Molto, Renata Ticha, Brian H Abery
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Free

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.

Keywords: inclusive education; initial teacher preparation; SDG4; teacher self-efficacy; inclusive teaching; international studies; Spain; United States

Suggested Citation

Miralles-Cardona, C., Cardona-Moltó, M.-C., Tichá, R., & Abery, B. H. (2025). 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, 15(5), 535. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15050535

Details

Date
2025 
Type
Peer-Reviewed Article 
Publisher
MDPI

Topics

  • Education practices (K12 and transition)
    • Paraprofessional and teacher development
  • International initiatives
    • Inclusive education