THE EFFECT OF IHEART PROJECT ON STUDENT TEACHERS' SELF-CONFIDENCE AND MENTAL WELLBEING REGARDING INCLUSION PRACTICES

Authors : Gülşah Selin Tümkaya

Pages : 17-31

View : 88 | Download : 95

Publication Date : 2023-12-16

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :The aim of this research is to investigate student teachers’ self-confidence and mental well-being regarding inclusive practices through Iheart Project. The theoretical framework of the Iheart project was underpinned by the three principles which were developed by Sydney Banks. This project aims to reveal to participants the relationship between the psychology of the mind and innate well-being. Teachers have taken their place in policies and literature worldwide as vital agents of change to ensure social justice and educational equality for all learners. They, therefore, can play a key role both in increasing the participation of youth in school activities and improving their achievement. For this reason, preparing teachers for inclusive practices requires strengthening teachers’ self-confidence and wellbeing to increase their awareness of how they might use their resources for the development of youth. This project is led by a trained Iheart facilitator. Iheart aims to support young people to bring to light their innate resilience and well-being. The research is a case study that employs mixed methods to explore issues of self-confidence and mental wellbeing regarding inclusive practices based on student teachers, the researcher, and the facilitator experienced in the project. The study was conducted with 100 Year 1, and two Year 2 student teachers enrolled in initial teacher education courses at Plymouth University. In this article, only the data of 14 special education teacher candidates were used. Data has been collected via Teacher Efficacy for Inclusive Practice and Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scales. Besides that interviews, feedback forms, and the research diaries were applied as a part of data collection. So far, emerging findings suggest that the interactive activities and some of the techniques used in Iheart can be useful to teachers in terms of increasing their self-confidence and mental wellbeing in the school environment. It is anticipated that the training that student teachers receive within the Iheart framework can contribute to their professional lives as they develop effective inclusive practices in mainstream settings.
Keywords : ıheart, kaynaştırma, öz güven, mental sağlık