Kindergarten teachers’ inclusive education literacy and self-efficacy: Anxiety and attitudes as mediators

Inclusive education, an educational ideology that promotes education without exclusion, discrimination, or categorization, is increasing in prominence worldwide. Since teachers are primarily responsible for its implementation, we surveyed 1,377 Chinese kindergarten teachers to examine the roles of inclusive education anxiety and attitudes in the relationship between kindergarten teachers’ inclusive education literacy and self-efficacy. The results showed that kindergarten teachers’ inclusive education literacy significantly and positively predicted their inclusive education self-efficacy, while inclusive education anxiety and attitudes had both independent and chain mediating roles in the relationship between inclusive education literacy and self-efficacy. These findings provide practical recommendations for school administrators, including enhancing on-the-job training for kindergarten teachers, increasing the dissemination of inclusive education principles, and improving the inclusive education support system.