ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to examine the level of self-efficacy for implementing behavioral interventions among early-career special education teachers and to explore contextual factors associated with it. The study analyzed the relationships among perceived gaps between teacher preparation and field practice, perceived school support and implementation environment, and experience in implementing behavioral interventions, and examined teachers’ training needs to inform practice-oriented professional support. The participants were 165 special education teachers with less than five years of teaching experience. Data were collected through an online survey and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results indicated that teachers showed high levels of intention to participate in behavioral intervention training, whereas perceptions of school support and the implementation environment were relatively low. Perceived gaps between preparation and practice were positively associated with self-efficacy, and more frequent implementation was linked to higher self-efficacy and greater perceived gaps. In contrast, training intention was not significantly related to the major variables. Teachers reported the greatest need for practice-oriented training, including case-based strategies, crisis response procedures, functional behavioral assessment (FBA), and behavior intervention plan (BIP) development. These findings suggest that professional support should emphasize practice-based training focused on implementation and feedback rather than theory-centered instruction.

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