Continuing Education for High School Resource Teachers and Their Sense of Self-efficacy

Abstract

This action-research project was conducted in three Quebec schools and its aim was to support resource teachers that teach high school students at risk and with learning difficulties. All participating resource teachers (N = 29) attended collaborative teachers-researchers meetings focusing on the characteristics and needs of students' with learning difficulties as well as on effective reading and writing strategies and procedures. Additionally, a test on their sense of self-efficacy was administered before and after the training. The paper also describes the mentoring and collaboration processes, the effects they had on actual classroom practices and on resource teachers' sense of self-efficacy. The facilitators and the obstacles encountered will also be presented and a few solutions will be proposed to improve this type of collaboration.