The role of an inclusive education course in pre-service teacher development: empathic tendency, teaching motivation, and self-efficacy for differentiated instruction

Preparing pre-service teachers to address barriers to learning and participation in mainstream classrooms is a central concern in inclusive education. In Türkiye, however, further evidence is needed on how specific course-based interventions in teacher education contribute to this preparation. This study investigated the effects of a dedicated elective course on inclusive education within teacher training in Türkiye on pre-service teachers’ empathic tendencies, teaching motivation, and self-efficacy beliefs regarding differentiated instruction. The study involved 124 pre-service teachers who are preparing to teach in mainstream schools. Using a one-group pre-test–post-test design complemented by qualitative interview data, data were collected before and after a 14-week course-based intervention totaling 28 h. The results indicated that the inclusive education course significantly and positively affected the pre-service teachers’ perceptions of efficacy in recognising students, planning differentiation, differentiating the teaching process, and differentiating assessment. Although changes in empathic tendency and teaching motivation were not statistically significant, the interview data suggested that the course increased pre-service teachers’ awareness of learners’ needs, sensitivity to barriers to learning and participation, and readiness to consider differentiated practices in their future classrooms.