Different Processes Towards Inclusion: A Cross-Cultural Investigation of Teachers’ Self-Efficacy in Japan and Finland
This dissertation aims to examine inclusive education from teachers’ points of view in Japan and Finland. Specifically, it has three aims: a) to examine how teachers’ self-efficacy for inclusive practices relates to teachers’ attitudes towards inclusive education; b) to assess how teachers’ demographic variables influence their self-efficacy and attitudes; and c) to identify sources of teachers’ self-efficacy that might affect their efficacy beliefs in implementing inclusive education. Data were obtained from a total of 620 Japanese and 1995 Finnish teachers through a survey questionnaire and analysed using statistical methods. The analyses revealed that teachers’ self-efficacy for inclusive practices affected their attitudes positively in both Japan and Finland. In addition, teachers’ experience in teaching students with disabilities had a positive effect on their self-efficacy and attitudes in both countries. However, there were some differences between Japan and Finland. First, teachers’ teaching careers predicted their self-efficacy only in Japan; elder teachers were more confident in Japan, but there was no difference between novice and experienced teachers in Finland. Second, the teachers’ teaching careers had a negative effect on their attitudes only in Finland; elder Finnish teachers held more negative attitudes towards inclusive education. Finally, the amount of inclusive education training affected teachers’ self-efficacy and attitudes positively only in Finland. In regard to the four sources of self-efficacy proposed by Bandura (1997), mastery experience had the strongest independent positive effect on self-efficacy in the two countries. Verbal persuasion made a small but significant contribution to self-efficacy in both countries; however, the effect was positive in Finland but negative in Japan. Further, the four sources of self-efficacy explained 54% of variance in teachers’ self-efficacy in the Finnish sample but 15% in the Japanese sample, indicating there may be other sources that influence self-efficacy in Japan. Overall, the findings of this thesis confirm that teachers’ self-efficacy for inclusive practices was positively associated with their attitudes. Moreover, how teachers’ demographic variables and their sources of self-efficacy predicted their efficacy beliefs differ by country, which emphasises the importance of studying inclusive education within cross-cultural frameworks, taking in to account cultural, historical, political and societal contexts.
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Väitöstutkimuksessa tarkastellaan inklusiivista koulutusta opettajan näkökulmasta Japanissa ja Suomessa. Tutkimustavoitteita on kolme: a) selvittää opettajien inklusiivisen minäpystyvyyden yhteys heidän inklusiivista opetusta koskeviin asenteisiinsa; b) arvioida, kuinka opettajien demografiset muuttujat vaikuttavat heidän minäpystyvyyteensä ja asenteisiinsa sekä c) tunnistaa sellaisia minäpystyvyyden lähteitä, jotka voivat vaikuttaa opettajien pystyvyysuskoon inkluusiota toteutettaessa. Aineisto kerättiin kyselylomakkeella 620 japanilaiselta ja 1995 suomalaiselta opettajalta ja analysoitiin tilastollisin menetelmin. Tulosten perusteella opettajien inklusiivinen minäpystyvyys muokkasi heidän asenteitaan myönteiseen suuntaan sekä Japanissa että Suomessa. Lisäksi kokemus vammaisten opiskelijoiden opettamisesta vaikutti myönteisesti heidän minäpystyvyyteensä ja asenteisiinsa molemmissa maissa. Japanin ja Suomen välillä oli kuitenkin myös eroja. Ensinnäkin opettajan pitkä ura ennusti minäpystyvyyttä vain Japanissa, eli siellä vanhemmat opettajat olivat nuoria itsevarmempia. Suomessa vastaavaa eroa ei havaittu. Opettajan ura taas vaikutti negatiivisesti hänen asenteisiinsa ainoastaan Suomessa: vanhemmat suomalaiset opettajat asennoituivat inkluusioon nuoria kielteisemmin. Kolmas ero oli, että inkluusioon liittyvän opettajankoulutuksen määrä vaikutti positiivisesti opettajien minäpystyvyyteen ja asenteisiin vain Suomessa. Banduran (1997) neljästä minäpystyvyyden lähteestä ’onnistumiskokemukset’ olivat eniten pystyvyyden tunnetta kohottanut yksittäinen tekijä molemmissa maissa. ’Verbaalisella vakuuttamisella’ eli palautteella oli pieni mutta merkitsevä rooli molemmissa maissa; Suomessa sen vaikutus oli kuitenkin positiivinen ja Japanissa negatiivinen. Lisäksi kyseiset neljä minäpystyvyyden lähdettä selittivät 54 % suomalaisten opettajien minäpystyvyyden vaihtelusta mutta vain 15 % japanilaisen otoksen vaihtelusta, joten Japanissa asiaan vaikuttanevat muutkin tekijät. Kaiken kaikkiaan väitöstutkimuksen tulokset vahvistavat opettajien inklusiivisen minäpystyvyyden positiivisen yhteyden heidän asenteisiinsa. Maiden välisiä eroja oli edelleen siinä, kuinka opettajien demografiset muuttujat ja minäpystyvyyden lähteet ennustivat heidän pystyvyysuskoaan. Siksi on korostetun tärkeää tutkia inkluusiota kulttuurienvälisissä viitekehyksissä ja huomioida kulttuuriset, historialliset, poliittiset ja sosiaaliset kontekstit.
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ISBN
978-951-39-8073-3Contains publications
- Artikkeli I: Yada, A., & Savolainen, H. (2017). Japanese in-service teachers’ attitudes toward inclusive education and self-efficacy for inclusive practices. Teaching and Teacher Education, 64, 222-229. DOI: 10.1016/j.tate.2017.02.005. JYX: jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/53337.
- Artikkeli II: Yada, A., Tolvanen, A., & Savolainen, H. (2018). Teachers' attitudes and self-efficacy on implementing inclusive education in Japan and Finland : A comparative study using multi-group structural equation modelling. Teaching and Teacher Education, 75, 343-355. DOI: 10.1016/j.tate.2018.07.011. JYX: jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/60218.
- Artikkeli III: Yada, A., Tolvanen, A., Malinen, O.-P., Imai-Matsumura, K., Shimada, H., Koike, R., & Savolainen, H. (2019). Teachers' self-efficacy and the sources of efficacy : A cross-cultural investigation in Japan and Finland. Teaching and Teacher Education, 81, 13-24. DOI: 10.1016/j.tate.2019.01.014. JYX: jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/63809.
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