Self-efficacy beliefs and the education of students with severe disabilities

The purpose of this article is to examine the contributions made by the tea cher efficacy literature to the study of teaching students with severe disa bilities. The description and measurement of the self-efficacy construct ar e first explained, followed by a brief overview of problems in self-efficac y research. Findings on the relationship between perceived self-efficacy of teachers and variables including perceptions of student abilities, classro om practices, adoption of innovations, and collaboration with others are th en summarized. Implications of this literature for practice, staff developm ent, and personnel training programs are then discussed. Finally, strategie s to guide future research are offered.