Abstract:
The research assessed the influence of self-efficacy, emotional intelligence
and personality traits of teacher trainees with special needs on academic
performance in colleges of education (CoEs) in Ghana. The study used
descriptive survey design. The population was all teacher trainees with special
needs in CoEs in Ghana. Census method was used to include all the 66
respondents. Questionnaire with a reliability co-efficient of .755 to .837 was
used to collect data analysed using descriptive (frequency, percentages, means
and standard deviation) and inferential (Multiple Linear Regression and
Hayes‟ Conditional Process) statistics. The study found that teacher trainees
with special needs had a high level of self-efficacy, emotional intelligence,
and personality traits. There was statistically significant positive effect of self efficacy, emotional intelligence and personality traits on academic
performance. Further, the study found that gender moderate the relationship
between academic performance, emotional intelligence (social competence)
and personality traits (extraversion). However, gender does not moderate the
relationship between self-efficacy and academic performance. Also, age does
not moderate the relationship between academic performance, self-efficacy,
emotional intelligence and personality traits of teacher-trainees with special
needs. The study recommended that college tutors and administrators should
continue to increase the self-efficacy, emotional intelligence and personality
traits level among teacher trainees with special needs through developmental
and intervention programmes. This can be done by proving effective
communication, honest feedback, healthy learning environment and positive
pedagogical strategies.
