Synergy of group-based experiential learning: Serial mediation relationship between affective-reflective skills, teacher efficacy, and group metacognition in special education teacher programs

Teacher preparedness for inclusive education requires more than pedagogical knowledge. It requires emotional resilience, reflective capacity, confidence, and metacognitive awareness to promote pre-service teachers' (PSTs) learning and collaborative expertise. Grounded in Bruner's spiral curriculum, this study investigated the relationships between experiential learning, affective-reflective skills, teacher efficacy, and group metacognition in special education teacher programs. The participants (N = 269, 91.1% female) were Hong Kong undergraduate students who completed the Experiencing Scale, Affective-reflective Skills Scale, Teacher Efficacy for Inclusive Practice Questionnaire, and Group Metacognition Scale. The results supported a serial mediation model where group-based experiential learning indirectly contributes to group metacognition via its effect on affective-reflective skills and teacher efficacy. The findings highlight the value of integrating group-based experiential learning facilitated by in-service professionals into special education teacher programs. Such integration develops PSTs' capacity to manage emotional challenges, enhance assessment and teaching skills, and collaborate effectively, ultimately contributing to inclusive classrooms.