The Effect of Practice-Based Special Education Activities on Preservice Teachers’ Self-Efficacy Perceptions

Purpose: The increasing implementation of inclusive education in Türkiye highlights the need to strengthen preservice teachers’ competencies in educating individuals with special educational needs. Practice-based learning experiences integrated into undergraduate special education and inclusion courses play a critical role in enhancing preservice teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs. This study aims to examine the effect of expert-designed special education and inclusive education activities on preservice teachers’ self-efficacy. Method: A single-group pretest–posttest quasi-experimental design was employed. The participants were 169 preservice teachers enrolled in a faculty of education at a public university. Data was collected using the Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale for the Education of Individuals with Special Needs. Descriptive statistics and 2×2 and 2×5 mixed-design ANOVA were used for data analysis. Findings: Preservice teachers’ self-efficacy scores increased significantly after the implementation. The main effect of time was significant across all analyses. While changes did not differ by gender or acquaintance with individuals with special needs, a significant time × group interaction was found for prior coursework in special education. Conclusion: The findings indicate that expert-based, practice-oriented activities strengthen preservice teachers’ self-efficacy. Enhancing the practical components of special education and inclusion courses may contribute to more effective teacher preparation for inclusive settings.