"Help! I feel unprepared": Exploring university faculty and autistic students' voices on self-efficacy in higher education inclusion

The growing number of autistic students requires university faculty's preparation for inclusive practices. However, limited teaching staff's self-efficacy hinders these students' success. This phenomenological study examines factors influencing teaching staff's self-efficacy and autistic students' perspectives. Three focus groups comprising 15 university faculty (five in each group) and one group with three autistic students were conducted. Interpretative phenomenological analysis identified key themes. The results indicated a low level of university faculty's self-efficacy, citing insufficient training and lack of support. In conclusion, while university faculty are concerned about accommodating autistic students, these students emphasize avoiding stigma and appreciating supportive, approachable teaching staff. • Faculty's self-efficacy in teaching autistic students is key to their participation and learning in the university context. • Research has underexplored faculty's self-efficacy in teaching autistic students, considering staff and student voices. • University faculty's self-efficacy is limited by poor training, weak coordination with disability services, and other issues. • Discrepancies emerged between faculty and autistic students on the need for training and identifying the specific students.