Abstract
This study aimed to examine and compare the teaching efficacy of paraprofessionals in the four desired domains identified in prior research about teaching special education : academic instruction, behavioral management, assessment, and professional ethics; and to identify what demographic or background factors predicted paraprofessional efficacy in the four domains. The researchers surveyed 41 paraprofessionals and 18 special education teachers using a scale adapted from the Student Teachers’ Efficacy in Teaching Students With Disabilities (STETSD) scale (Zhang et al., 2018). Two significant main effects were found: efficacy domains and the professional’s role. A significant interaction effect was found when controlling for years of professional experience. Results suggested that (a) on average, paraprofessionals reported lower self-efficacy than special education teachers in all four desired domains, and (b) paraprofessionals perceived lower teaching efficacy in academic instruction and assessment.
Keywords: paraprofessionals, special education, teaching efficacy, effectiveness
