A descriptive study of teacher perceptions of self-efficacy and differentiated classroom behaviors in working with gifted learners in Title I heterogeneous classrooms

One purpose of this study was to determine the self-perceptions of regular classroom teachers' behavior with behaviors observed by external reviewers when implementing differentiated skills and strategies necessary for successfully teaching gifted students. Another purpose was to examine the demographic profile of these teachers in respect to academic coursework. Finally, the study examined the self-perception of efficacy of treatment teachers compared to control teachers in Title I schools to determine differences that might be attributed to involvement in a federally funded project requiring the use of differentiated strategies.; Several significant findings emerged from this study. In regards to participating teachers, the Teacher Questionnaire revealed that both the experimental and control groups have equal experience teaching. More experimental teachers were found to have gifted endorsements than control teachers, while the control group has more experience teaching gifted students. In addition, more of the control population has been identified as gifted than the experimental population, but more experimental teachers have gifted children than control teachers. Finally, more control teachers have Master's degrees than do experimental teachers.; Findings from the Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale (short form) indicated that control teachers have a greater sense of efficacy than experimental teachers on questions related to Classroom Management and Instructional Strategies. There was no statistically significant difference found between experimental and control teachers in the area of Student Engagement.; Data collected from the Classroom Observation Scale-Revised (COS-R) found that experimental teachers rated themselves similar to external observers' ratings. Control teachers, however, rated themselves significantly higher on the classroom observation scale used for Project Athena.; Personal interviews and open-ended questions on the Teacher Questionnaire revealed that the Project Athena experimental teachers have a greater awareness of meeting the needs of their gifted students as a result of participation in the Athena-based professional development sessions. In addition, the following themes emerged regarding teachers' perceptions of characteristics necessary in effectively working with gifted learners: flexibility; having high expectations; understanding individual needs; ability to motivate; and patience.; Implications of this study for future research include conducting a study of a larger sample of teachers endorsed in gifted education vs. non-endorsed teachers in respect to self-efficacy and the use of differentiation strategies to further investigate the effects of systematic training in gifted education. A replication of this study with a larger sample size would also be beneficial.