A Phenomenological Study of Special Education Teacher Self-Efficacy for English Learner Instruction

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the experiences of special education teachers (SETs) who instruct English learners (ELs) at secondary public schools in the Southeast. In this research, SETs instructing ELs were generally defined as SETs responsible for the instruction of ELs with or without disabilities. The theory guiding this study was Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy. The qualitative study used a phenomenological approach to explore the lived experiences of 11 SETs who teach in secondary public school districts in the southeastern United States. Data collection consisted of Teacher Self-Efficacy (TSE) Scale surveys, teacher reflections on their individual TSE results, one-on-one interviews, and focus groups. For analysis, data was listed and grouped, reduced, eliminated, hypothetically identified, applied, and finally identified. Following the analysis of each of the sources, that data was synthesized to derive a concise textural–structural description of the essence of SETs’ experiences teaching ELs. The essence of these SETs’ experiences revealed two themes consisting of teacher challenges and teacher efficacy for student instruction. The first theme of teacher challenges emerged with subthemes of language barrier and cultural differences, student placement, lack of appropriate resources, lack of stakeholder support, and inadequate preparation. The second theme of teacher efficacy for student instruction was revealed with subthemes of assessment of student needs, strategies for student success, teacher support, and teacher training to instruct ELs. This study highlights the lived experiences of SETs who instruct ELs with or without disabilities and provides implications calling for additional support to bolster their teaching self-efficacy.