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April 11, 2026Kentucky Teacher Education Journal The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children0 citationsOpen Access

Examining the Impact of Professional Development on Paraprofessional Self-Efficacy in Rural Settings

EMElise D. MurrayMSMoriah SmothersTCTori Colson

Key Points

  • This research aims to assess the effects of professional development on the self-efficacy of special education paraprofessionals in rural schools.
  • Mixed-methods approach utilized to gather data on self-efficacy.
  • Pre-training and post-training self-efficacy measurements were taken.
  • Qualitative data collected from paraprofessionals regarding their experiences.
  • No significant change in self-efficacy levels was observed after professional development training.
  • On-the-job experiences significantly influenced paraprofessionals' confidence more than training sessions.

Abstract

Due to an increasing reliance on special education paraprofessionals in rural schools, this study examines their self-efficacy beliefs before and after professional development. Using a mixed-methods approach, findings suggest no significant change in self-efficacy post-training. Paraprofessionals’ confidence was more influenced by on-the-job experiences than by a single professional development session.

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Cite This Study

Murray et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69d9e52b78050d08c1b755efhttps://doi.org/10.61611/2995-5904.1079
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