Am I to blame? Teacher self-efficacy and attributional beliefs towards students with specific learning disabilities

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study of 105 Australian in-service teachers investigated the relationship between teacher self-efficacy and teachers’ causal beliefs towards students with and without specific learning disabilities. Results found that teachers reporting higher levels of teacher self-efficacy provided more positive feedback, less frustration, and held lower expectations of future failure towards all students, regardless of students’ ability levels, effort expenditure, or the presence of a specific learning disability. Additionally, teachers reporting higher levels of teacher self-efficacy displayed greater sympathy towards students who expended low effort. The findings suggest that teachers with higher levels of teacher self-efficacy may undertake a teacher-intrapersonal causal search to explain student underachievement, in comparison to teachers with lower levels of teacher self-efficacy who may undertake an interpersonal causal search.