International Journal of

ADVANCED AND APPLIED SCIENCES

EISSN: 2313-3724, Print ISSN: 2313-626X

Frequency: 12

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 Volume 13, Issue 5 (May 2026), Pages: 11-24

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 Original Research Paper

Examining pre-service teacher competence in inclusive education: A case study from Guizhou, China

 Author(s): 

Renyu Mu 1, *, Wannaporn Siripala 1, Junaidi Junaidi 2

 Affiliation(s):

1Department of Education and Society, Institute of Science Innovation and Culture, Rajamangala University of Technology Krungthep, Bangkok 10120, Thailand
2Department of Accounting, Universitas Muhammadiyah Palopo, Palopo, Sulawesi Selatan, Indonesia

 Full text

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 * Corresponding Author. 

   Corresponding author's ORCID profile:  https://orcid.org/0009-0001-6648-1367

 Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

 
https://doi.org/10.21833/ijaas.2026.05.002

 Abstract

This study examines the role of preschool teacher competence in autism education and parental involvement in the performance of inclusive education. A total of 415 students participated in the study, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the research hypotheses. The results show that three dimensions of teacher competence—belief in inclusive education, emotional care, and professionalism—do not have a significant effect on parental involvement. In contrast, communication and cooperation, continuous learning and development, and observation and evaluation have a significant positive influence on parental involvement. Furthermore, parental involvement partially mediates the relationship between preschool teacher competence and the performance of autistic students. These findings suggest that educators and policymakers should promote stronger collaboration between families and schools to improve educational outcomes. In addition, considering socio-economic and cultural factors can help provide more appropriate support for diverse families. The study highlights the importance of ongoing communication and professional development for teachers in creating a more inclusive and equitable educational environment. It also provides empirical support for improving pre-service teacher training programs in early childhood education and offers guidance for developing inclusive education courses in higher education institutions.

 © 2026 The Authors. Published by IASE.

 This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

 Keywords

Preschool teacher competence, Parental involvement, Inclusive education performance, Autism education, Structural equation modeling

 Article history

Received 29 November 2025, Received in revised form 21 April 2026, Accepted 1 May 2026

 Acknowledgment

No Acknowledgment. 

 Compliance with ethical standards

 Ethical considerations

All participants provided informed consent prior to enrollment in the study. Written informed consent was obtained from all individuals included in the research. The study protocol was reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee of Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University. 

 Conflict of interest: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

 Citation:

Mu R, Siripala W, and Junaidi J (2026). Examining pre-service teacher competence in inclusive education: A case study from Guizhou, China. International Journal of Advanced and Applied Sciences, 13(5): 11-24

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