The relationship of teacher efficacy and organizational variables in special education referrals among inner-city elementary teachers
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between teacher self-efficacy, school organizational characteristics, and the number of referrals to the Child Study Team. School organizational characteristics included: ethnicity and socioeconomic status of the student population, class size, and teachers' perceptions of the openness of the school climate to referral of students for special education. A sample of 167 teachers of grades 3 through 8 from 19 schools in an urban school district were surveyed using the Teacher Efficacy Scale (TES) by Gibson, a researcher-constructed set of items designed to assess school climate relative to permissiveness of referral of students to special education, and demographic background variables. The schools all had predominantly non-White student populations who came from low-income families. Major findings were: Personal efficacy was negatively related to referral rates for teachers having 13 or more years of experience in their present school and for teachers having fewer than four courses in classroom management. General efficacy was negatively related to referral rates for White teachers, teachers with 20 or more years of experience, and teachers with fewer than four courses in classroom management. The greater the personal permissiveness of the teacher, the higher the number of referrals for the total sample, White teachers, teachers with 20 or more years of experience, teachers with less than 13 years of experience in their present school, teachers with two or more courses in special education, and teachers with fewer than four courses in classroom management. The greater the perception of faculty permissiveness, the higher the number of referrals for the total sample, White teachers, teachers with 20 or more years of experience, teachers with two or more courses in special education, and teachers with four or more courses in classroom management. The greater the perception of the principal's permissiveness, the greater the number of referrals for teachers with two or more courses in special education. The greater the perceived permissiveness of the school, the higher the number of referrals for the total sample, White teachers, and teachers with fewer than 13 years in their present school.
Subject Area
Special education|Elementary education
Recommended Citation
Ronzitti, William Basso, "The relationship of teacher efficacy and organizational variables in special education referrals among inner-city elementary teachers" (1997). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI9809015.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI9809015
