The self-efficacy of learning and support assistants in the Austrian inclusive education context

Abstract

In inclusive education, learning and support assistants (LSAs) play an increasingly prominent role in supporting students with disabilities in regular classrooms. Previous research has identified various factors that influence the implementation of inclusive education, such as collaboration and the self-efficacy beliefs amongst the involved professions. The present cross-sectional study examined the self-efficacy beliefs of 89 Styrian LSAs in interaction with their age, qualification, specialist knowledge and quality of collaboration with teachers. Our findings reveal that Styrian LSAs show a high amount of self-efficacy beliefs. Correlations confirm that their age, knowledge about special education, assessment of feeling qualified based on completed training and the estimated quality of teacher collaboration relate significantly to their self-efficacy beliefs. Further analyses demonstrate that respondents who had completed a degree in social work have the highest sense of self-efficacy and are thus feel best qualified for supporting children with disabilities due to their previous training. In line with earlier research, these findings strengthen the claim for LSAs to receive training that would impact their self-efficacy beliefs, which, in the long run, could increase the likelihood of inclusive educational practices being successfully implemented.