Graduation Year
2026
Date of Defense
3-26-2026
Degree Name
Doctorate in Education (EdD) in Educational Leadership
Department
School of Education and Human Development
Document Type
Dissertation
First Advisor
Robert Hannafin
Abstract
This qualitative phenomenological study explored how general education teachers perceive their self-efficacy when teaching students with disabilities in inclusive K-2 classrooms. Guided by Bandura’s (1997) Social Cognitive Theory, the study investigated how the four sources of self-efficacy, mastery experiences, vicarious learning, verbal persuasion, and emotional/physiological states, emerge within the lived experiences of teachers navigating inclusive instruction. Eight general education teachers from a public elementary school in Western Connecticut participated in in-depth, semi-structured interviews.
Thematic analysis, employing both deductive coding aligned with Bandura’s framework and inductive coding rooted in participant narratives, revealed key factors that enhanced or eroded teachers’ sense of self-efficacy. Findings suggested that teachers’ self-efficacy developed primarily through experiential learning and reflective adaptation rather than through preservice training alone. While emotional support and verbal encouragement reinforced teachers’ confidence, systemic barriers such as inadequate preparation, lack of student support services, and misalignment between curriculum demands and student needs were found to undermine teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs. A strong internal commitment to inclusion served as a motivational buffer, sustaining participants’ persistence in the face of structural challenges.
This study adds to the literature by highlighting how individual experiences, relational supports, and institutional conditions interact to shape general education teachers’ self-efficacy in elementary inclusive classrooms. Implications highlight the importance of strengthening teacher preparation, expanding embedded professional development, and increasing systemic support for inclusive educational practices.