Teacher self-efficacy theory, grounded in Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory will be used as a framework for the proposed study. According to Bandura, behavior is determined by the reciprocal interactions that occur among specific behavioral, cognitive, and environmental factors. Social cognitive theory states that confidence in one's ability to perform a behavior is strongly related to behavior change and maintenance. According to Bandura, self-efficacy beliefs influence the choices and goals people make, the amount of effort they apply toward these goals, how long they persevere at a task in times of failure or difficulty, and the amount of stress that is experienced (Frederickson & Turner, 2003). This theory can be applied to further understand needs and behaviors of teachers to include their attitudes toward inclusion and their perceptions of its success.
Self-efficacy is defined as a social cognition construct related to a person's self-beliefs in his or her ability to perform specific tasks, regulate their ability, and affect their lives. According to BanduraÆs social cognitive theory, the cognitive self-regulation process mediates experience and behavior; thus people behave proactively, engaging in goal setting. This self-directedness is mediated by self-reflective and self-reactive abilities which interact with environmental influences. Through this activity, self-efficacy beliefs are formed. Dimensions of self-efficacy are identified: magnitude or the level of task difficulty a person believes is attainable, strength or the degree of conviction that a given level of task performance is attainable, and generality or the extent to which a given self-efficacy judgment applies across different situations. Sources of self-efficacy beliefs include mastery experiences, modeling, social persuasion, and psychological and emotional states (Appelbaum & Hare, 1996).
Social cognitive theory has been used as a theoreti...