Sean Green
JAASEP 7(1) (2012) 88-100
Abstract
A teacher shortage in the area of special education has led to an increase in the number of special education teachers who are teaching out-of-field. The lack of pedagogical training of these teachers creates concern about the effectiveness of these teachers. This qualitative study explores the teacher-efficacy of four special education teachers with varying backgrounds. One of the teachers was a traditionally certified special education teacher; the other teachers had received their initial certification in areas other than special education, and later became certified in special education by passing a state examination. Qualitative data demonstrated that all four had genuine concern for their students, and all four voiced belief in their ability to teach students with disabilities. However, there was a clear difference in instructional strategies used as well as their concerns about external factors, which may affect a student’s ability to learn.
Keywords:Special Education Teachers, Teacher Shortage, Self Efficacy, Teacher Effectiveness, Teacher Attitudes, Evaluation Methods, Disabilities, Qualitative Research, Questionnaires, Educational Strategies, Alternative Teacher Certification, Educational Attitudes
DOI: https://doi.org/10.64546/jaasep.166
