CLEARING HURDLES IN TEACHER ADOPTION AND SUSTAINED USE OF RESEARCH-BASED INSTRUCTION

Gersten et al., in this issue of JLD, have pinpointed variables that p reclude teachers' sustenance of research-based instructional strategie s. These variables fall squarely on the shoulders of intervention rese archers. However, they have not attended to variables that stem from t eachers themselves. Hence, in my commentary, I focus on teacher variab les that account for their lack of initiation and sustenance of resear ch-based instructional strategies. Specifically, I highlight teachers' (a) overarching conceptions of teaching, (b) subject-area knowledge, and (c) sense of self-efficacy. Of these, for reasons given in my arti cle, I elaborate more on teacher self-efficacy. I conclude with sugges tions on promoting teacher self-efficacy.