Open AccessTeacher Self-Concept and its Association with Willingness to Include Children with Special Needs in Regular Classes: Teacher Empathy as a Mediator
Author(s) -
Kingsley Chinaza Nwosu,
WP Wahl,
Hasina Cassim,
Elizabeth Ifeoma Anierobi,
Chioma Christiana Akuneme,
Emmanuel Nkemakolam Okwuduba
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of educational and social research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.162
H-Index - 5
eISSN - 2239-978X
pISSN - 2240-0524
DOI - 10.36941/jesr-2021-0029
Subject(s) - empathy , psychology , association (psychology) , inclusion (mineral) , social psychology , developmental psychology , diversity (politics) , path analysis (statistics) , cognition , statistics , mathematics , neuroscience , sociology , anthropology , psychotherapist
More appealing is the inclusive education practice that recognizes diversity among children than practices that lead to inequality in education. However, there have been implementation challenges including the rejection of children with special needs (CWSNs) in regular classes by teachers. Given this, the study attempted to build an empirical model to explain associations between teacher self-belief system and socio-emotional factors and their willingness to include CWSNs in their classes. The sample size consisted of 316 teachers. Using path analysis, findings showed, among others, that the conceptual model fit the data satisfactorily, and that teacher self-concept had direct effects on teachers’ willingness to include CWSNs in their regular classes. Teacher cognitive self-concept was a better predictor and its impact was significantly mediated by teacher empathy. It was concluded that willingness for inclusion could be influenced by teacher belief system and socio-emotional characteristics.
Received: 27 October 2020 / Accepted: 17 December 2020 / Published: 5 March 2021