THE INFLUENCE OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEACHERS’ SELF-EFFICACY FOR THE INCLUSION OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

The inclusion of students with disabilities in the modern educational process is a necessity for removing barriers to participation, obviating social inequalities and reducing social exclusion. In the direction of equal opportunities, empowerment and social inclusion, the emotional intelligence and emotional literacy of teachers plays a decisive factor. The study investigated the relationship between physical education teachers' emotional intelligence and their self-efficacy, regarding the inclusion of students with physical, sensory and intellectual disabilities. One hundred and fifty physical education (PE) teachers participated in the study. The Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS) was used to measure emotional intelligence and the Self-Efficacy Instrument for Physical Education Teachers Majors Toward Inclusion (SE-PETE) for the evaluation of self-effectiveness. The results showed that demographic factors such as gender, age, level of education, level of schooling employed and years of teaching experience greatly influence the emotional intelligence levels of physical education teachers. Regarding self-efficacy beliefs, no statistically significant differences were observed in terms of gender, age, level of education, level of schooling employed, in contrast to education in adapted physical education which seems to influence self-efficacy. Spearman’s Coefficient Correlation showed that emotionally intelligent teachers show increased self-efficacy, since they create appropriate learning conditions, and act supportive and encouraging, while adapting teaching to the needs of their students. The multiple regression analysis showed that the self-emotional appraisal, the emotional appraisal of students, and the ability to use and regulate teachers’ emotions have a significant predictive value for high self-efficacy in inclusive practices.  Article visualizations: