Correlation of PE Teachers’ Emotions, Attitudes, Anxiety, and Competence in Inclusive Education

Objective: This research aims to investigate the relationships between physical education teachers' emotions, attitudes, anxieties, and perceived competence towards inclusive education practices. Materials and Methods: The study group comprises 256 participants, consisting of 152 (59.4%) female and 104 (40.6%) male teachers working in Balıkesir province during the fall semester of the 2024-2025 academic year. The research employed a relational survey model. Data collection instruments included a personal information form, the Emotions, Attitudes, and Anxieties Scale Regarding Inclusive Education, and the Teacher Competency Scale in Inclusive Practices. Descriptive statistics, Independent Samples T-Test, One-Way ANOVA, Pearson Correlation, and Regression tests were used for data analysis. Results: Analyses based on graduation status revealed no significant differences in emotion, attitude, anxiety, and competence levels. Furthermore, the attitude variable was found to have a decisive role in teacher competence and explained 11% of the variance in competence levels. Conclusion: The research findings indicate a moderate positive correlation between Attitude and competence, while no significant relationship was found between Emotion and Anxiety variables and competence. Additionally, a significant difference was observed in participants' anxiety levels based on gender. Teachers who knew, were related to, or had a student with special needs showed no significant difference in terms of emotion and attitude scores, but their anxiety and competence scores were higher.