Teacher Self-Efficacy and Mathematics Achievement of Secondary-Level Students With Disabilities

Students with learning and other education-related disabilities generally demonstrate low mathematics achievement. While this is a complex phenomenon, one related factor may be low teacher self-efficacy for teaching mathematics to these students. The current study was a preliminary investigation (N = 40) into (a) differences in self-efficacy between general, special, and dual-licensed educators and (b) correlations between teacher self-efficacy and student achievement. Findings revealed that special educators reported the highest self-efficacy for inclusive practice whereas dual-licensed teachers reported the highest self-efficacy for mathematics instruction. Correlations between teacher self-efficacy and student achievement were weak for general educators and strong for dual-licensed teachers (special educators not included in correlational analysis). Findings indicate the value of studying these constructs on a larger and more nuanced scale. Implications for practice include opportunities to merge knowledge of mathematics pedagogy with instructional practices for students with learning disabilities.