How inclusive are we? a mixed method study on coaches' attitudes and self-efficacy towards people with special needs

In the study conducted to examine the attitudes and self-efficacy of coaches towards individuals with special needs, sequential explanatory mixed design method was used. The scale was applied to 306 coaches (91F, 215E) and individual interviews were conducted with 13 coaches (2F, 11E). The data of the study were collected with the Attitude Scale Towards the Training of Individuals with Disabilities and Coaches' Self-Efficacy Scale and a semi-structured interview form. In the study, it was determined that coaches who were female, who took courses on individuals with special needs, who had relatives with special needs, who had past experience of working with individuals with special needs had more positive attitudes and that the attitudes of coaches who received practical training in the course on individuals with special needs were more developed. It was seen that coaches with the title of head coach at the fourth level had higher self-efficacy than other groups. The results of the research show that the self-efficacy level of coaches with developed attitudes is also high. According to these results, based on the relationship between attitude and self-efficacy, it is important to support the coach training seminars, visa seminars and coaching courses organized for coaches who play a key role in providing equal opportunities in education for individuals with special needs and ensuring their participation in inclusive sports environments with special education and exercise courses. In addition, it is of great importance that the courses in such programs should have compulsory status and include practical studies in order to improve student competencies in the pre-professional period in the programs that train coaches under the roof of higher education institutions and to train coaches who have the opportunity to practice more.