Abstract:
This study sought to investigate emotional reactions and burnout of teachers
teaching children with exceptional needs in inclusive schools in southern Ghana:
moderating roles of self-efficacy and coping mechanisms. The study used
convergent mixed method approach where both quantitative and qualitative data
were collected in order to provide a comprehensive analysis of the research
problem. A sample of 390 teachers was drawn from a population of 3,090 from
182 schools through purposive, proportionate cluster and systematic sampling
techniques. Questionnaire and an interview guide were used to elicit responses
from the respondents. The study answered five research questions and tested nine
hypotheses. Frequencies and Percentages, Means and Standard Deviations,
Pearson Moment Correlation Coefficient, Independent Samples T-test, ANOVA
as well as Multiple Regressions Analysis for moderation were used to analysed
the quantitative data. A qualitative thematic analysis was carried out on the
qualitative data to gain an understanding of the participants‟ world. The results of
the study showed that the teachers exhibited low self-efficacy while teaching in
inclusive settings in southern Ghana. The teachers also expressed poor emotional
reactions in their inclusive classrooms. Again, the study revealed that teachers
adopt inappropriate coping mechanisms in dealing with their burnout in inclusive
settings. It was evident from the study that the sources of teachers‟ self-efficacy in
inclusive settings in southern Ghana were mastery of experience, vicarious
experience, verbal or social persuasion, emotional and physiological factors.
Among the recommendations was the need for educators of pre-service teachers to
take the pre service teachers through how to develop a higher self-efficacy and
adopt positive emotions before they graduate.
