ROLE PERCEPTION AND SELF EFFICACY OF NOVICE SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS

The study examined the way in which novice special education teachers perceive their self efficacy to fulfill their roles as defined by the Council of Exceptional Children. 93 new teachers participated in special education student-teaching workshops at one teacher training college in the center of the country. They answered a research questionnaire that contained 35 items which were based on the skills identified by the CEC as being essential for special education teachers. Findings show that teachers have high levels of self efficacy in prevailing and standard roles, and low levels of self efficacy in newer roles that have been added to the teacher's role in recent years, such as promoting environments in the pupil's life. The study shows the need for reorganizing the teacher training system for special education teachers which will enable graduates to fulfill their new roles efficiently. The importance of this study lies in the need it shows for reorganizing the teacher training system for special education teachers, which will enable graduates to fulfill their new roles efficiently, and will give them a sense of their ability to fulfill these roles.