Professional Development for Working with Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Teacher Self-Efficacy

Georgia Educational Research Association. Available from: Digital Commons. Zach S. Henderson Library, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30458. e-mail: [email protected]; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gerjournal/

Y

27

Faculty Development; Autism; Pervasive Developmental Disorders; Students with Disabilities; Self Efficacy; Inclusion; Inservice Teacher Education; Program Effectiveness; Teacher Attitudes; Interpersonal Competence; Skill Development; Visual Aids; Interpersonal Communication; Communication Skills; Interaction; Teacher Competencies; Elementary School Teachers; Educational Legislation; Federal Legislation; Equal Education

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; No Child Left Behind Act 2001; Every Student Succeeds Act 2015

2471-0059

The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the effect of teacher professional development for working with students with Autism Spectrum Disorders and teacher (N = 56) self-efficacy in the general education classroom. A pretest/posttest quasi-experimental research design was implemented. Teachers in one randomly assigned school received professional development training on research-based practices in working with students with autism to determine if the training had any effect on their perceived self-efficacy ratings and teachers in the other school were randomly assigned to serve as the control (i.e., no additional professional development training was provided during the research phase). Results showed that the training had a large positive effect on teacher self-efficacy ratings regarding working with students with autism in the inclusion classroom. Findings tentatively show the need and importance for the provision of more professional development training to general education teachers for working with students with autism to improve teacher self-efficacy and to provide the most effective and inclusive educational experience possible.

As Provided

2021

EJ1290057