Professional Identity And Role Perceptions Of Israeli Pre-Service Teachers In Special Education

Abstract

This study aims to examine the differences and similarities between Arab and Jewish pre-service teachers in Israel, in terms of their professional identity, their perceptions of the role of a Special Education (SE) teacher and their self-efficacy in teaching. The sample comprised of 205 students from a college for education in Israel, 141 Jewish and 64 Arab students. All the participants study for B.A. in Special Education. The research instruments were Teacher Professional Identity Scale; Teacher's Self Efficacy Scale; Professional identity Scale for SE teachers. The results indicated that Jewish and Arab pre-service teachers (PSTs) differ significantly in their professional identity, their perceptions of the role of a Special Education (SE) teacher and their self-efficacy in teaching according to the year of study. In addition, positive correlations were found between the pre-service teachers' perceptions regarding their professional identity, their self-efficacy and their professional self-identity in special education. Findings are discussed from the perspective of the applicability of the concept of professional identity in developing training programs for special education PSTs with different cultural backgrounds living in the same country.