Self-efficacy theorists contend that individuals pursue activities and situations in which they feel competent and avoid those in wbich they do not. Teacher efficacy beliefs, that is, teachers' perceptions of their own teaching competence, have been found to influence a myriad of teachers' behaviors and attitudes and to mediate the influence of other self-perceptions on those outcomes. In this study, we investigated the relationships among general education teachers' (a) efficacy beliefs (N = 128) for instructing students with learning and behavior problems, (b) the socioeconomic status of their students, and teachers' perceptions about (c) the support they receive from their building principal, (d) their collegial interactions, (e) the value of their preservice and inservice preparation, and (f) their success in instructing such students in mainstream classrooms. Path analysis results revealed that teacher efficacy beliefs had a direct effect on their perceived success in instructing mainstreamed special education students. Teacher efficacy also mediated the influence of self-perceptions related to the quality of preservice education and collegial interactions with special education and regular education colleagues on perceptions of success. Implications for teacher educators and school administrators are discussed.
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