Date
12-4-2025
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)
Chair
Rollen Fowler
Keywords
Emotional Behavior Disorders, Inclusion, Teacher Attitudes
Disciplines
Special Education and Teaching
Recommended Citation
Allen, Kellie N., "General Education Teachers’ Attitudes Toward Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders: The Predictive Value of IDEA Knowledge, Teaching Experience, and Classroom-Management Self-Efficacy" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 7666.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/7666
Abstract
General-education teachers often feel unprepared to support students with Emotional and Behavior Disorders (EBD), which can foster negative attitudes toward inclusion. Identifying teacher factors that support successful inclusion in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) is needed. This quantitative predictive–correlational study tested whether general-education teachers’ Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) knowledge, classroom-management self-efficacy, and years of experience predict attitudes toward including students with EBD. Using Facebook and LinkedIn, 83 teachers volunteered and completed the General Educators’ Attitudes toward Emotional and Behavioral Disorders Questionnaire, the Efficacy for Classroom Management Scale, and the Knowledge of Special Education Law Survey. Multiple linear regression indicated a significant model (R² = .526, p < .001, F(3, 79) = 29.26). Only classroom-management self-efficacy was a significant predictor (β = .70, p < .001); IDEA knowledge (β = .11, p = .168) and years of teaching experience (β = −.05, p = .513) were not. Classroom-management self-efficacy showed the largest unique contribution (semi-partial r² = .336); IDEA knowledge and teaching experience each had semi-partial r² ≤ .01. Given departures from normality observed in screening, Spearman rank-order correlations were computed as a nonparametric sensitivity analysis: bivariately, self-efficacy correlated most strongly with attitudes (rs = .58; rs² ≈ 33.6%), with weaker associations for IDEA knowledge (rs = .22; rs² ≈ 4.8%) and experience (rs = .11; rs² ≈ 1.2%). Results indicate that classroom management self-efficacy—not legal knowledge or tenure—is the strongest driver of positive attitudes toward students with EBD. This points to professional development that prioritizes applied behavior management and hands-on practice. Future work should examine how classroom management, administrative support, and preservice preparation shape general educators’ attitudes in the LRE.
