Does intense contact with people with disabilities lead to more inclusive behaviour within professional practice?

Abstract

The teacher training programme set up a five-day sports camp to explore the effects of intense contact on the attitudes, self-efficacy and behaviour of pre-service teachers regarding persons with disabilities. A questionnaire based on the components of the theory of planned behaviour was completed by 77 pre-service participants. General analyses showed rather positive attitudes and a low level of self-efficacy. Results show that the subjective norm and self-efficacy are antecedents of intention, but attitudes were not. Intention in turn was not an antecedent of behaviour. We can cautiously conclude that direct and intense contact increases attitudes, self-efficacy and inclusive behaviour, therefore this study is a plea for direct and intense contact with people with disabilities as part of the curriculum.