Teachers' level of efficacy as a predictor of the academic achievement of students with disabilities

It was hypothesized that teacher efficacy is significantly correlated to the academic achievement of students with disabilities who are included into mainstream classrooms. Teacher efficacy was shown, in previous studies, as well as via the factor analysis done within this study, to encompass two separate yet equally valid components: teaching efficacy (TE) and personal efficacy (PE). Teaching efficacy has to do with the teacher's belief that teaching can overcome the effects of external influences. Personal efficacy has to do with the belief that the teacher has that they can effect changes in his/her students.; To obtain data for this study, teacher efficacy questionnaires were mailed to 105 regular education teachers within a single uniquely populated New Jersey school district. Of these, 92 questionnaires were returned and are used in this study. Students' math and reading scores on both the current and previous year's Metropolitan Achievement Test provided data on achievement, and scores for 402 students were obtained for the study.; Classroom observations were also done, in order to further enrich the results of the quantitative portion of the study. Specific teaching behaviors were analyzed as to whether teachers' level of efficacy does appear to affect teaching behaviors.; Simple correlation and regression analyses revealed that teaching efficacy is significantly correlated to both math and reading achievement, although more strongly related to reading achievement. Personal efficacy was found to have no statistically significant relation to math or reading achievement. Years of teaching experience was not significantly related to teaching efficacy or personal efficacy. Number of students included in each mainstream classroom was found to have no significant relation to students' academic achievement. Specific teaching behaviors were identified by the qualitative portion of this study, as having a positive relationship to teachers' self-reported efficacy.; The results contrast with those of past studies where personal efficacy was found to be more significantly related to student achievement than was teaching efficacy. Implications of the results for teacher training, teacher development, and for future research are presented.