Effect of mentorship on regular teachers’ selfefficacy towards implementation of inclusive education at basic education level

Abstract

Introduction. Impaired teachers’ self-efficacy has contributed to delays in the implementation of inclusive education in Nigeria. Unfortunately, several efforts established towards ensuring the actualization of the Salamanca Declaration in Nigeria are yet to produce desired results. Although some past studies identified a mentor-mentee approach as a model that promotes the efficient implementation of established policies, paucity of research evidence exists on the implication of mentor-mentee approaches on the construction of teachers’ self-efficacy for inclusive education, particularly at the basic level of education. Objectives. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of mentorship on in-service regular teachers’ self-efficacy towards the implementation of inclusive education at the basic education level in Gombe State, Nigeria. Methods. A quasi-experimental research design was adopted for the study, while a purposive sampling technique was used to select 42 participants aged between 20 and 45 (M = 33.90, SD = 6.35) from two local government areas of the Gombe South Senatorial District. Participants were assigned to treatment and control groups, with 21 participants in each group. The Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale (α = .81) was used for data collection. Data collected was analysed with an independent sample t-test. Results. Findings showed the efficacy of a mentoring training program on the self-efficacy of in-service regular teachers towards effective implementation of inclusive education at the basic level of education. Also, male and older teachers had higher self-efficacy for the implementation of Inclusive education at the basic education level. Conclusion. Mentorship programs significantly facilitate the achievement of inclusive education, particularly at the basic level of education. Welldesigned mentorship programs for early career in-service regular teachers would equip them with an orientation that would guide them towards effective implementation of inclusive education at the basic level of education. Based on the outcome of the study appropriate mentorship strategy for novice teachers was recommended

Uvod: Nedovoljna samoefikasnost nastavnika doprinela je kašnjenju u primenu inkluzivne edukacije u Nigeriji. Nažalost, napori uloženi u obezbeđivanje aktuelizacije Deklaracije iz Salamanke u Nigeriji još uvek nisu dali očekivane rezultate. Iako su neke prethodne studije identifikovale mentorski pristup kao model koji promoviše efikasnu implementaciju utvrđenih politika, mali broj istraživanja pruža dokaze o implikacijama mentorskih pristupa na učvršćivanju samoefikasnosti nastavnika u oblasti inkluzivne edukacije, naročito na nivou osnovnog obrazovanja. Cilj: Ovo istraživanje je sprovedeno kako bi se ispitao uticaj mentorskog rada na samoefikasnost nastavnika redovnih škola u primeni inkluzivne edukacije na nivou osnovnog obrazovanja u državi Gombe u Nigeriji. Metode: U ovom istraživanju primenjen je kvazieksperimentalni dizajn, dok je prigodni uzorak sačinjen od 42 ispitanika uzrasta između 20 i 45 godina (AS = 33.90, SD = 6.35) iz dve oblasti lokalne samouprave u Južnom senatorskom okrugu u Gombeu. Ispitanici su bili podeljeni u grupu u kojoj je sproveden tretman i u kontrolnu grupu, sa po 21 ispitanikom u svakom poduzorku. U prikupljanju podataka korišćena je Skala za procenu doživljaja samoefikasnosti nastavnika (Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale) (α = .81). Prikupljeni podaci analizirani su pomoću t-testa za nezavisne uzorke. Rezultati: Dobijeni nalazi ukazuju na efikasnost programa mentorske obuke u postizanju samoefikasnosti nastavnika redovnih škola u implementaciji inkluzivne edukacije na nivou osnovnog obrazovanja. Takođe je nađeno da su nastavnici muškog pola i stariji nastavnici postigli viši nivo samoefikasnoti. Zaključak: Mentorski programi u značajnoj meri olakšavaju ostvarivanje inkluzivne edukacije, naročito na nivou osnovnog obrazovanja. Dobro osmišljeni mentorski programi na početku karijere nastavnika redovnih škola usmerili bi ih ka efektivnoj implementaciji inkluzivne edukacije u osnovnom obrazovanju. Na osnovu dobijenih rezultata ovog istraživanja predložene su prikladne strategije mentorskog rada za nastavnike koji su početnici