Abstract
Autism, inclusion and teacher's beliefs. The aim of this study was to investigate the beliefs of a teacher regarding her student with autism's development, in early childhood education. Also the belief in her work as an educator (sense of self-efficacy) and what aspects of teacher-student relationship reverberated used in pedagogical practice. An interview was conducted with the teacher, which was recorded and transcribed for analysis according to the Content Analysis criteria. The results showed that teacher's acceptance and recognition of the student's potential (beliefs) tend to be a decisive factor for her practice. However, there was a low expectation of self-efficacy, as evidenced by the low appreciation of her academic training; feelings of uncertainty about the adequacy of her pedagogical practice and need to receive support and share the difficulties. These results point to the need for continued training of preschool teachers, especially those working in the area of autism.
Keywords:
beliefs; self-efficacy; autism; early childhood education