The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of professional development in co-teaching on teacher self-efficacy among general and special education rural high school teachers. A causal-comparative research design was used to survey 256 rural high school teachers from the South and Midwest regions of the U.S. to measure their self-efficacy in student engagement, instructional practices, and classroom management. One-way analysis and independent samples t-test was used to analyze these data using SPSS statistical software. The results indicated a significant difference between teachers with and without experience in a co-teaching classroom regarding their efficacy in using instructional practices. Furthermore, ANOVA results indicated a significant difference in the number of hours of professional development a teacher received in co-teaching as it relates to their efficacy in student engagement, instructional practices, and classroom management. Further discussion and recommendations are also included.

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A causal-comparative research design was used to examine the influence of course delivery (face-to-face flipped or asynchronous online) on participants’ self-efficacy beliefs toward teaching in an inclusive classroom. The following research questions were used to guide the study: (a) Is there a relationship between completing an introduction of exceptionalities course and participants’ self-efficacy toward teaching an inclusive classroom? (b) Is there a relationship between completing an introduction of exceptionalities course in an asynchronous online or face-to-face flipped format on participants’ self-efficacy beliefs toward teaching in an inclusive classroom? The purpose of this study was to explore if there is a relationship between self-efficacy belief development and course delivery models. The results indicated a significant difference in self-efficacy beliefs towards teaching in an inclusive classroom after completing an introduction of exceptionalities course. However, there was no significant difference in the participants’ efficacy based on the course delivery model (face-to-face flipped or asynchronous online). Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.

After months of school closures, a variety of educators were surveyed with the goal of understanding their lived experience of teaching during a pandemic and the supports they needed to be successful during this challenge. The educators span different grade levels, school districts, and states. Their responses were illuminating for educational leaders when planning for a new school year. The purpose of this research brief was to collect real time responses from educators as they attempted to meet the varied challenges of educating during a pandemic. The questions focused on strengths needed by the educator, characteristics observed in successful students, and school supports that were helpful to gain successful outcomes. A variety of educators, spanning from kindergarten through high school, were surveyed. All participants were asked the same questions, and their responses were collected, coded, and organized around different educational leadership themes: teacher efficacy, school culture, and student resiliency. The goal of this research brief was to gain crucial information while educators were facing the pandemic and use their responses to frame a conversation for educational leaders as they plan for upcoming challenges they may face. From this research brief, characteristics of success begin to emerge. What does an educator need to focus on to be successful? What can we learn from our most successful students? What role can a school’s culture play, even when no one is there?

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