This study examined the mediating roles of teachers’ perceived efficacy in inclusive instruction, behavior management, and collaboration in the relationship between experiential learning and positive mirror effects. Experiential learning provides a hands-on, reflective, and collaborative environment that fosters practical skills, confidence, and adaptive problem-solving abilities, thereby enhancing teacher efficacy. Positive mirror effects, derived from observing and interpreting group interactions, enable individuals to gain insights that facilitate learning and support the strategic application of knowledge in complex, unpredictable situations. Teacher efficacy functions as a key mechanism linking experiential learning to positive mirror effects, amplifying the impact of experience-based training on reflective and professional growth. Addressing a gap in prior research, largely focused on mirror effects in counseling, this study applies these constructs to special education teacher training. Undergraduate students (N = 269; 91.1% F) enrolled in an early childhood education program specializing in special educational needs (SEN) participated in the study. Using an online survey comprising the Experiencing Scale, the Teacher Efficacy for Inclusive Practice Scale, and the Mirror Effects Inventory, results indicated that efficacy in inclusive instruction, behavior management, and collaboration function as serial mediators between experiential learning and positive mirror effects. The findings underscore the importance of experiential learning in strengthening teacher efficacy, which, in turn, fosters positive mirror effects that support the development of adaptive teaching strategies in special education contexts. The study highlights the need to enhance both individual and collaborative efficacy to better prepare teachers to effectively address the diverse needs of learners with SEN.

Authors:
Hoi Yan Lau, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Hong Kong
Wing Yee Ho, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Hong Kong
Yuk Ching Law, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Hong Kong

About the Presenter(s)
Ms. Lau is currently a Lecturer with eight years of experience working in Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Hong Kong.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Friday Schedule

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