Attitudes and self-efficacy of physical education teachers toward inclusion of children with disabilities: a narrative review of international literature

Background: Teachers in various countries worldwide have been confronted with the placement of students with disabilities in general classes, and the need to provide them with support and adapted physical education (APE). However, physical education (PE) teachers often do not feel prepared or self-confident enough for this inclusion. While a considerable amount of research has been identified, researchers have emphasized a need for additional studies that can shed more light on the influencing factors relevant to shaping teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion, as well as on their inclusion practices.Purpose: The current article aims to provide a narrative summary of international research perspectives and findings regarding PE teachers’ attitudes and self-efficacy (SE) toward inclusion, as well as to develop a model for conducting further research.Design: A narrative literature review was performed, based on a search of the databases SPORT Discus and MEDLINE (combined via EBSCO host and screened for peer-reviewed academic journals only), and Google Scholar. The search used the following terms: physical education teachers, inclusion, disability, and attitudes or SE. The narrative review begins with setting the scope of this topic via definitions and theoretical frameworks used to enable the understanding of attitudes and SE within inclusive PE. The Social Learning Theory (SLT) and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) were outlined in order follow up with an explanation of the link between attitudes and SE. In the next section, the literature on attitudes and SE of PE teachers is presented. This section is comprised of subsections describing the development of instruments and their utilization in the field of study, as well as contextual variables influencing PE teachers’ attitudes and SE toward inclusion.Findings: Seventy-five articles were included in total, of which 54 discussed research on teachers’ attitudes towards inclusive PE, 12 were related to research on teachers’ SE (three of which also included research on teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion), and 12 were considered reviews or viewpoints. The article ends with a model, including the following parts: background variables (regarding teachers’ personal attributes, school attributes, and disability attributes); moderating variables (attitude and SE); and, teachers’ behavior toward inclusion, all of which are interrelated and include a feedback loop. This model can be used for designing future research, as well as evidence-based interventions aimed at facilitating teacher training toward inclusion.Summary for practitioners: From a practical point of view, educational inclusion practitioners should be aware of several factors influencing attitudes and/or SE while engaging in inclusion of children with disabilities in PE: (a) The teachers’ volume and type of experience with persons with disabilities at school, in the family or in the community; (b) The professional and academic training toward inclusion; (c) Individual factors, including gender; (d) School environmental factors, such as a process rather than performance orientation; and, finally, (e) The type and degree of disability.