Perceived Need,Teacher Efficacy,and Teaching Strategies for the Gifted and Talented

Abstract

The study investigated relationships among perceived need, teacher efficacy, and use of ten teaching strategies recommended for the gifted. It also examined differences between expert and novice teachers of the gifted by comparing patterns of need, efficacy, and use in 318 preservice teachers, classroom teachers, and teachers of the gifted. Data were gathered using a seven point Likert-scale questionnaire. Correlations between teacher efficacy and need and between teacher efficacy and use were consistently higher than those between need and use. Preservice teachers, classroom teachers, and teachers of the gifted were successfully separated by a function of need and efficacy, with the most potent contributions made by efficacy variables. Classroom teachers and teachers of the gifted were separated by a function of need, efficacy, and use, with the most powerful contributions made by use of strategies.

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