Enhancing teachers’ self-efficacy within full-service schools: a disregarded aspect by the District-Based Support Team

ABSTRACT

Teachers’ sense of self-efficacy is crucial for the success of implementation of inclusive education in schools. The Education White paper 6 mandated the District-Based Support Teams (DBSTs) to successfully support teachers to feel more equipped and be competent in their roles to address barriers to learning, which consequently will experience positive self-efficacy beliefs. The purpose of this article is to explore the competencies of the DBST in enhancing teachers’ sense of self-efficacy within Full-Service schools. Data were generated by means of interviews using a qualitative approach. Members of the DBST and teachers from the Full-Service schools in two provinces of South Africa participated in this research. The findings revealed that certain factors such as incompetent leadership, inefficient support, unavailability of structured programmes as well as poor communication and cooperation disable DBSTs with respect to enhancing teachers’ sense of self-efficacy in various ways. The authors recommend that by addressing these factors teachers’ sense of self-efficacy will be enhanced.

KEYWORDS:

• District-Based Support Team
• self-efficacy
• full-service schools
• inclusive education

Notes on contributors

Thabo Makhalemele is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Education of North-West University, Vaal Triangle campus and affiliated as researcher to the Optentia research focus area. His expertise is in inclusive education and learner support.

Isabel Payne-van Staden is a Lecturer at the School of Education of North-West University, Vaal Triangle campus and affiliated as researcher to the Optentia research focus area. Her expertise is in inclusive education and learner support.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Thabo Makhalemele http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0427-9902

Isabel Payne-van Staden http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2024-4371