Pre-service teachers’ empathy and attitudes toward inclusive education—The chain mediating role of teaching motivation and inclusive education efficacy

PLOS One | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0321066 April 29, 2025 5 / 18 correlation between teacher’s empathy and self-efficacy for students with autism spectrum disorders [40]. Empathy and self-efficacy also found to be positively predicted job satisfaction [41]. In the inclusive education context, pre-service teachers with higher self-efficacy are more accommodating of learning-disabled and problem-behavior students and have more positive attitudes toward children with special needs than regular school [42]. Thus, based on the literature review, it is hypothesized that: H5: Empathy has a positive effect on inclusive education efficacy. H6: Inclusive education efficacy has a positive effect on attitudes toward inclusive education. H7: Inclusive education efficacy will mediate the relationship between empathy and attitudes toward inclusive education. Chain mediation role of teaching motivation and inclusive education efficacy Based on the foregoing literature review, empathy may impact attitudes toward inclusive education through two separate mediators: teaching motivation and inclusive education efficacy. When a mediation model contains two or more medi- ators, a cascading mediation effect is possible if these factors are interrelated [43]. Teachers’ teaching motivation and sense of efficacy are essential factors that influence their attitudes. There is a strong link between teaching motivation and inclusive education efficacy. Pre-service teachers’ motivation to engage in the teaching profession is intrinsic, which can

stimulate their interest and enthusiasm for inclusive education work and increase their confidence and self-efficacy in their work. Previous research argued that self-efficacy is related to teachers’ willingness to continue in the profession [44] and that there is a positive correlation between motivation for teaching autonomy and teachers’ self-efficacy in teaching [45]. Therefore, we can conclude that an increase in pre-service teachers’ empathy is associated with increased teaching moti- vation and a stronger inclusive education efficacy. They are likely to adopt more positive and proactive attitudes towards inclusive education and be more inclined to implement it. Therefore, based on the above findings, the following hypothe- ses are established: H8: Teaching motivation has a positive effect on inclusive education efficacy. H9: Teaching motivation and inclusive education efficacy together play a chain mediating role in the relationship between empathy and attitudes toward inclusive education. In related to that, the conclusion drawn from pervious literature reviews has been used as groundwork to develop research framework for this study, as showed on Fig 1. Fig 1. Research framework. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0321066.g001