Portraits of pre-service special education teachers: Perspectives on well-being and its association with self-efficacy and work engagement

The well-being of teachers is a critical concern with significant implications for teachingeffectiveness and student outcomes. However, there exists a notable gap in the literatureconcerning the well-being of pre-service teachers. Moreover, there is a scarcity ofresearch focusing on the unique challenges faced by prospective special educationteachers. This study addresses this dual gap by exploring the well-being of pre-servicespecial education teachers and its relationship with self-efficacy and work commitment.Data was collected from a sample of 133 preservice teachers (mean age = 38,14; sd =8.25 years) enrolled in a professional course for high school special education teachers.Employing cluster analysis, three distinct profiles based on mental health, perceivedstress, and resilience z-scores were identified. We further explored how the identifiedwell-being profiles related to self-efficacy and work engagement. The findings providevaluable insights on improving educational policies, personalized teacher trainingprograms, and early support structures to nurture educators’ well-being and equip themwith the skills necessary to navigate the complex landscape of special education