📄 social_science

Exploring the Relationships Among perceived school support, teacher efficacy, and teachers’ attitudes towards inclusive practice in Bangladesh: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

This study utilizes structural equation modeling in Bangladesh to reveal that while perceived school support does not directly influence teachers' attitudes toward inclusive education, it significantly shapes these attitudes indirectly by enhancing teachers' self-efficacy.

Original authors: N.A.M. Faisal Ahmed, Mst. Anamika Yeas Yeasmin, Md. Sajib Hossain, Fowjia Fariha, Md. Shahidul Islam, Mohammad Ali, Mohammod Quamrul Hassan, Abu Saleh Md. J, Arifur Rahman

Published 2026-07-03

📖 4 min read☕ Coffee break read

CC BY 4.0

Original authors: N.A.M. Faisal Ahmed, Mst. Anamika Yeas Yeasmin, Md. Sajib Hossain, Fowjia Fariha, Md. Shahidul Islam, Mohammad Ali, Mohammod Quamrul Hassan, Abu Saleh Md. J, Arifur Rahman

Original paper licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ✨ This is an AI-generated explanation of the paper below. It is not written or endorsed by the authors. For technical accuracy, refer to the original paper. Read full disclaimer

Imagine the classroom as a kitchen where a chef (the teacher) is trying to cook a special meal for a very diverse group of guests (students with different needs, abilities, and backgrounds). This is what "inclusive education" looks like: everyone eating at the same table, enjoying the same meal, even if they need different utensils or recipes.

This research paper, conducted in Bangladesh, tries to figure out what makes the chef feel confident enough to cook this complex meal and whether they actually want to do it. The researchers looked at three main ingredients:

Perceived School Support (PSS): The pantry and the head chef (principal). Does the kitchen have good ingredients? Is the head chef helpful? Do the other cooks (colleagues) and the customers (parents) cheer the chef on?
Teacher Efficacy (TE): The chef's confidence. Does the chef believe, "I have the skills to handle this kitchen and feed everyone well"?
Attitude (TAIE): The chef's willingness. Does the chef want to cook this meal, or do they feel it's too much trouble?

The Big Discovery: The "Confidence Bridge"

The researchers used a fancy statistical tool (like a GPS for data) to map out how these three ingredients connect. Here is what they found, translated into everyday terms:

1. The Pantry Doesn't Directly Change the Mood
You might think that if a school gives a teacher great resources, a supportive boss, and helpful parents (High Support), the teacher would immediately feel happy and willing to teach inclusively (Positive Attitude).

The Reality: The study found no direct link here. Just having a well-stocked pantry didn't automatically make the chef want to cook the inclusive meal. In fact, the data showed that support alone didn't significantly change the teacher's attitude.

2. The Pantry Builds the Chef's Confidence
However, the pantry did do something very important. When teachers felt supported by their school, their confidence skyrocketed.

The Reality: Good support (resources, training, help from colleagues) made teachers feel, "Yes, I can actually do this!" (High Efficacy).

3. Confidence is the Key to Willingness
Once the teachers felt confident in their skills, then their attitude changed.

The Reality: Teachers who believed they had the skills to manage the classroom were much more likely to have a positive attitude toward inclusive education.

The "Bridge" Analogy
Think of School Support as the foundation of a bridge, Teacher Confidence as the bridge itself, and Teacher Attitude as the destination on the other side.

You can't walk from the foundation (Support) directly to the destination (Attitude) without crossing the bridge.
The study found that Support builds the Bridge (Confidence), and Crossing the Bridge leads to the Destination (Attitude).
Without the bridge, the support is just sitting on one side of the river, not helping anyone get across.

The Numbers in Plain English

Support → Confidence: Strong connection. When schools help, teachers feel capable.
Confidence → Attitude: Strong connection. When teachers feel capable, they like the idea of inclusion.
Support → Attitude: No direct connection. Support only helps attitude if it first makes the teacher feel capable.

Why This Matters (According to the Paper)

The researchers suggest that in Bangladesh, simply giving teachers more resources or telling them "you must do this" isn't enough to change their minds. Instead, schools need to focus on building the teacher's confidence.

If a teacher feels they have the training, the tools, and the backing to handle a difficult classroom, their confidence grows. And once that confidence is there, their attitude naturally shifts to being positive and welcoming.

In short: You can't force a teacher to like inclusive education just by giving them a better school. But if you give them the support they need to feel capable, they will naturally start to like it.

Note: The paper mentions that the study was done with secondary school teachers in Bangladesh using surveys. It suggests that to improve inclusion, policymakers should focus on training and support that boosts teacher confidence, rather than just providing materials.

Technical Summary: Relationships Among Perceived School Support, Teacher Efficacy, and Attitudes Toward Inclusive Practice in Bangladesh

Problem Statement and Context
While global frameworks like the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 4) and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities mandate inclusive education (IE), implementation remains uneven, particularly in developing nations like Bangladesh. Despite national policy commitments (e.g., National Education Policy-2010), a significant gap exists between policy priorities and classroom realities. Teachers are identified as the primary agents for successful inclusion, yet their ability to implement IE is often hindered by insufficient training, inadequate infrastructure, and limited institutional support.

Previous literature suggests that teachers' attitudes toward inclusive education (TAIE) are influenced by personal factors (such as self-efficacy) and environmental factors (such as perceived school support). However, the specific interplay among perceived school support (PSS), teacher efficacy (TE), and TAIE within the Bangladeshi context remains unexplored. This study aims to fill this gap by investigating the structural relationships among these constructs and examining the mediating role of teacher efficacy.

Methodology
The study employed a cross-sectional research design utilizing Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with Partial Least Squares (PLS-SEM) to analyze data from 300 secondary school teachers in Bangladesh, selected via convenience sampling.

Instrumentation:
- Teacher Efficacy: Measured using the Teacher Efficacy for Inclusive Practice (TEIP) scale (Sharma et al., 2012), a second-order construct comprising three subscales: managing behavior, collaboration, and teaching instruction.
- Attitudes: Assessed using the behavioral dimension of the Multidimensional Attitudes Toward Inclusive Education Scale (MATIES) (Mahat, 2008).
- Perceived School Support: Measured using the Perceived School Support for Inclusive Education (PSSIE) scale (Ahmed, 2013).
Data Analysis:
- Software: SmartPLS version 4.1.0.1.
- Approach: A two-step procedure was used: first evaluating the measurement model (reliability, validity, discriminant validity via HTMT and Fornell-Larcker criteria) and then the structural model.
- Bias Control: Common Method Bias (CMB) was addressed using a full collinearity assessment (VIF < 5).
- Hypothesis Testing: Bootstrapping with 10,000 samples was used to determine path coefficients, significance levels, and mediation effects.
- Theoretical Framework: The study interprets findings through the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), positing that PSS acts as subjective norms/instrumental resources influencing perceived behavioral control (efficacy), which in turn shapes attitudes.

Key Results
The structural model analysis yielded the following findings:

Direct Effects:
- H1 (PSS $\rightarrow$ TAIE): Not supported. Perceived school support did not have a statistically significant direct impact on teachers' attitudes toward inclusive education ( $\beta = 0.089, p = 0.066$ ).
- H2 (PSS $\rightarrow$ TE): Supported. Perceived school support significantly and positively influenced teacher efficacy ( $\beta = 0.357, p < 0.001$ ).
- H3 (TE $\rightarrow$ TAIE): Supported. Teacher efficacy significantly and positively impacted teachers' attitudes ( $\beta = 0.462, p < 0.001$ ).
Mediation Analysis (H4):
- Teacher efficacy was found to fully mediate the relationship between perceived school support and attitudes. The indirect effect was significant ( $\beta = 0.165, p < 0.001$ ).
- The total effect of PSS on TAIE was significant ( $\beta = 0.254$ ), but this effect is entirely channeled through teacher efficacy.
Model Fit and Predictive Power:
- The model explained 25.1% of the variance in teachers' attitudes ( $R^2 = 0.251$ ).
- Effect sizes ( $f^2$ ) indicated a medium effect of PSS on TE (0.15) and TE on attitudes (0.25), while the mediating effect of TE was small (0.027).
- Predictive relevance was established ( $Q^2_{predict} > 0$ ), and the model demonstrated moderate predictive power based on PLS-SEM cross-validation metrics.

Key Contributions and Claims
The study contributes to the literature by empirically validating a mediation model in a developing country context where institutional support is often fragmented. The authors claim that:

Indirect Mechanism: Institutional support (PSS) does not directly alter teacher attitudes; rather, it functions by enhancing teachers' self-efficacy, which subsequently fosters positive attitudes.
Contextual Insight: In Bangladesh, the lack of a direct link between support and attitude may be attributed to low awareness of IE among leadership and social support networks, as well as structural barriers like low salary structures for non-government teachers.
Theoretical Alignment: The findings align with the Theory of Planned Behavior, suggesting that external resources (PSS) must first be internalized as a sense of capability (TE) before they translate into behavioral intentions (attitudes).

Significance and Recommendations
The paper asserts that for inclusive education to be effectively implemented in Bangladeshi secondary schools, policy interventions must focus on the "mediating mechanism." Simply providing resources is insufficient if teachers do not feel efficacious. Therefore, the authors recommend:

Targeted Training: Policymakers and administrators should prioritize professional development that specifically enhances teacher efficacy in managing diverse classrooms, collaborating with stakeholders, and adapting instruction.
Holistic Support: Schools must improve facilities, leadership quality, and peer/parental support systems to create an environment that boosts teacher confidence.
Awareness: There is a need to raise social and political awareness regarding the value of diversity among school leadership and the community to translate support into positive attitudes.

The study concludes that the success of inclusive education in Bangladesh depends on converting institutional support into teacher empowerment, which then drives the necessary attitudinal shifts for inclusive practice.

The Big Discovery: The "Confidence Bridge"

The Numbers in Plain English

Why This Matters (According to the Paper)

Technical Summary: Relationships Among Perceived School Support, Teacher Efficacy, and Attitudes Toward Inclusive Practice in Bangladesh

More like this