From mandate to classroom: work disturbances and teacher self-efficacy in Taiwan’s National Sign Language curriculum

Global educational policies increasingly mandate the integration of minority languages into mainstream curricula, creating new demands on teachers. Using Taiwan's 2022 Taiwan sign language (TSL) curriculum as a case, this cross-sectional study examined the relationships among work disturbances, teacher self-efficacy, and professional performance among 133 TSL teachers. Structural equation modelling revealed an indirect-only mediation pattern: work disturbances were negatively associated with self-efficacy (β = −.283, p = .003), which was positively associated with professional performance (β = .716, p < .001), while the direct association between disturbances and performance was non-significant (β = −.107, p = .121). Deaf/HoH teachers reported greater work disturbances and lower self-efficacy than hearing teachers, despite no significant difference in professional performance. These findings suggest that auditory-centric school environments and structural inequalities in professional roles may undermine pedagogical confidence among Deaf educators. The study highlights the importance of institutional support, accessible professional development and collaborative teaching arrangements in implementing TSL curricula. It also underscores the role of teacher self-efficacy in understanding the professional implications of inclusive language education policies.