The Effect of an Adapted Physical Activity Intervention Program on Pre-Service Physical Education Teachers’ Self-Efficacy towards Inclusion in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Self-efficacy of pre-service physical education (PE) teachers is an effective predictor of successful inclusion of students with disabilities. However, physical disability is one of the most challenging disabilities to include in PE settings. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a 6-week intervention program on the self-efficacy of Saudi pre-service PE teachers towards including students with physical disabilities in general PE classes. Two groups of pre-service PE teachers (35 each in the experimental and control groups; mean age: 22.69 ± 1.17 years) enrolled in two universities in Saudi Arabia were recruited into this study. Self-efficacy was measured before and after the intervention program using the Arabic version of the Self-Efficacy Scale for Physical Education Teacher Education Majors toward Children with Disabilities (SE-PETE-D). One-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) revealed that a significant improvement in self-efficacy was demonstrated for the experimental group after participation in the intervention program compared to the control group (p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.53, large). The results support the systematic implementation of this type of intervention program as an integral part of physical education teacher education programs.