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

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.