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Teachers' Knowledge and Misconceptions about Diversity: Correlations with Personal Contact, Attitudes, Self-Efficacy and Instructional Practices

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Title: Teachers' Knowledge and Misconceptions about Diversity: Correlations with Personal Contact, Attitudes, Self-Efficacy and Instructional Practices
Language: English
Authors: Anke Heyder (ORCID 0000-0002-1578-4894), Lisa Tometten (ORCID 0000-0001-8886-3924), Ricarda Steinmayr (ORCID 0000-0002-0294-1045)
Source: Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs. 2026 26(2).
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 17
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Secondary Education
Descriptors: Elementary School Teachers, Secondary School Teachers, Career and Technical Education Teachers, Special Schools, Foreign Countries, Teacher Attitudes, Knowledge Level, Misconceptions, Diversity, Interpersonal Relationship, Self Efficacy, Educational Practices, Teaching Methods, Special Education Teachers, Educational Needs, Emotional Problems, Behavior Problems, Learning Problems, Dyslexia, Learning Disabilities, Academically Gifted, Inclusion
Geographic Terms: Germany
DOI: 10.1111/1471-3802.70083
ISSN: 1471-3802
Abstract: This study investigated in-service teachers' knowledge about learner diversity and its relation to other teacher-related factors, guided by the COACTIV model of professional competence. We expected knowledge differences depending on prior learning opportunities, positive associations with attitudes towards inclusion, teaching self-efficacy for inclusive education and mastery-oriented practices, and negative associations with performance-oriented practices. Participants were 139 German in-service teachers (average age 40, 13 years of teaching experience) from primary (19%), secondary (29%), grammar schools (26%), vocational colleges (12%), segregated special schools (12%) and others (2%). We assessed their knowledge and misconceptions using an objective, standardised test with 142 true-or-false statements about special educational needs due to emotional/behavioural and learning difficulties, partial achievement disorders (dyslexia, dyscalculia), gender and intellectual giftedness. Several t-tests compared their scores with those of 395 bachelor and 181 master teacher students, showing that in-service teachers had higher knowledge. Several t-tests further showed that special education teachers knew more than mainstream education teachers. Correlation analyses in the in-service teacher sample revealed that higher knowledge was associated with more positive attitudes towards inclusion, greater self-efficacy for teaching in inclusive education and more mastery-oriented practices. The results highlight the importance of knowledge about diversity as part of teachers' professional competence.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1503940
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: Teachers' Knowledge and Misconceptions about Diversity: Correlations with Personal Contact, Attitudes, Self-Efficacy and Instructional Practices
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Anke+Heyder%22">Anke Heyder</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1578-4894">0000-0002-1578-4894</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lisa+Tometten%22">Lisa Tometten</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8886-3924">0000-0001-8886-3924</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ricarda+Steinmayr%22">Ricarda Steinmayr</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0294-1045">0000-0002-0294-1045</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Journal+of+Research+in+Special+Educational+Needs%22"><i>Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs</i></searchLink>. 2026 26(2).
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  Data: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
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  Data: Y
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  Data: 17
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Elementary+Education%22">Elementary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Secondary+Education%22">Secondary Education</searchLink>
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  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Elementary+School+Teachers%22">Elementary School Teachers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Secondary+School+Teachers%22">Secondary School Teachers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Career+and+Technical+Education+Teachers%22">Career and Technical Education Teachers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Special+Schools%22">Special Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Attitudes%22">Teacher Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Knowledge+Level%22">Knowledge Level</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Misconceptions%22">Misconceptions</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Diversity%22">Diversity</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Interpersonal+Relationship%22">Interpersonal Relationship</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Self+Efficacy%22">Self Efficacy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Practices%22">Educational Practices</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teaching+Methods%22">Teaching Methods</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Special+Education+Teachers%22">Special Education Teachers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Needs%22">Educational Needs</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Emotional+Problems%22">Emotional Problems</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Behavior+Problems%22">Behavior Problems</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Learning+Problems%22">Learning Problems</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Dyslexia%22">Dyslexia</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Learning+Disabilities%22">Learning Disabilities</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Academically+Gifted%22">Academically Gifted</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Inclusion%22">Inclusion</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Germany%22">Germany</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1111/1471-3802.70083
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  Data: 1471-3802
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: This study investigated in-service teachers' knowledge about learner diversity and its relation to other teacher-related factors, guided by the COACTIV model of professional competence. We expected knowledge differences depending on prior learning opportunities, positive associations with attitudes towards inclusion, teaching self-efficacy for inclusive education and mastery-oriented practices, and negative associations with performance-oriented practices. Participants were 139 German in-service teachers (average age 40, 13 years of teaching experience) from primary (19%), secondary (29%), grammar schools (26%), vocational colleges (12%), segregated special schools (12%) and others (2%). We assessed their knowledge and misconceptions using an objective, standardised test with 142 true-or-false statements about special educational needs due to emotional/behavioural and learning difficulties, partial achievement disorders (dyslexia, dyscalculia), gender and intellectual giftedness. Several t-tests compared their scores with those of 395 bachelor and 181 master teacher students, showing that in-service teachers had higher knowledge. Several t-tests further showed that special education teachers knew more than mainstream education teachers. Correlation analyses in the in-service teacher sample revealed that higher knowledge was associated with more positive attitudes towards inclusion, greater self-efficacy for teaching in inclusive education and more mastery-oriented practices. The results highlight the importance of knowledge about diversity as part of teachers' professional competence.
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        Value: 10.1111/1471-3802.70083
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      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 17
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Elementary School Teachers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Secondary School Teachers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Career and Technical Education Teachers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Special Schools
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Teacher Attitudes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Knowledge Level
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Misconceptions
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Diversity
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Interpersonal Relationship
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Self Efficacy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Practices
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Teaching Methods
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Special Education Teachers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Needs
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      – SubjectFull: Emotional Problems
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      – SubjectFull: Behavior Problems
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      – SubjectFull: Learning Problems
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      – SubjectFull: Dyslexia
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      – SubjectFull: Learning Disabilities
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      – SubjectFull: Academically Gifted
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      – SubjectFull: Inclusion
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Germany
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Teachers' Knowledge and Misconceptions about Diversity: Correlations with Personal Contact, Attitudes, Self-Efficacy and Instructional Practices
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              Y: 2026
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