Empowering In-Service Teachers: A Career-Stage–Tailored Professional Development Model to Enhance Self-Efficacy in Teaching Multilingual Learners with Disabilities

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 4:15 pm - Gold 2
  In Roundtable Session: Empowering In-Service Teachers Through Professional Development

Abstract

This mixed-methods study examines how teacher self-efficacy develops across career stages when supporting multilingual learners (MLs) with disabilities. Grounded in Bandura’s (1997) social cognitive theory and informed by translanguaging pedagogy, the study analyzed survey data from 122 K–12 educators and interviews with eight teachers across three Southeastern districts. Findings revealed significant differences in self-efficacy by career stage, with early-career teachers reporting the lowest confidence across instructional, management, and engagement domains. Qualitative themes highlighted emotional and cultural barriers that shaped teacher agency. The study culminates in a four-module, career-stage–tailored PD framework designed to build mastery, modeling, and culturally responsive practice. This equity-centered framework offers a blueprint for transforming PD and supporting teachers of dual-identified learners.

Author

• Jocelyn Belden, Georgia State University