Translation, cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric validation of the self-efficacy scale for physical education teacher education majors toward children with disabilities for Brazilian Portuguese

Introduction The participation of people with disabilities (PWD) in physical activity and sports is essential for social inclusion and health promotion. The self-efficacy perceived by professionals greatly influences the success of inclusive practices; higher confidence in adapting activities and addressing diverse needs leads to better experiences for PWD. The self-efficacy scale for physical education teacher education majors toward children with disabilities (SE-PETE-D) measures this construct but lacked a validated Brazilian version. Objective To translate, culturally adapt, and validate the Brazilian Portuguese version, named EAE-EFI/Brazil. Results Content validity indices exceeded 0.90 across all subscales. Exploratory factor analysis revealed high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α 0.96). Confirmatory factor analysis showed acceptable model fit (RMSEA 0.10; CFI, TLI, IFI 0.90), supporting the original structure for subscales related to physical disability (PD) and visual impairment (VI). Conclusion The EAE-EFI/Brazil is a valid and reliable tool for assessing physical education teachers’ and students’ self-efficacy concerning inclusion of individuals with intellectual disabilities, PD, and VI in Brazil. Future studies should evaluate the scale’s applicability in diverse contexts and explore links with professional development and institutional support, advancing inclusive practices and policies in Brazilian education.