Abstract

Teachers’ self-efficacy is an important component of their professional and personal success. However, only a few studies have examined the self-efficacy of teachers with disabilities. In recent years the number of teachers with disabilities in the teaching force has increased. In this study we conducted 20 semi-structured interviews with teachers who are Deaf1/hard-of-hearing or with physical disabilities. The purpose of the study was to reveal the commonalities among and differences between these two groups and to explore the components of self-efficacy among these teachers. The research findings indicate that a teacher’s self-efficacy is determined by various elements concerning conduct in the classroom and the teacher’s relationships with the students. These findings offer both a theoretical understanding of the components of the self-efficacy of teachers with disabilities and a practical contribution to increasing the inclusion of these teachers, thus diversifying the teaching workforce and acknowledging the unique contributions of such teachers.

Keywords: Self-efficacy; Disability; Deaf culture; Education, Teachers.