Relationship between Teachers' Effectiveness and Their Tolerance for Handicapped Students

This study explored the relationship between classroom teachers' self-reported tolerance levels for maladaptive behavior in their classrooms and experienced supervisors' evaluations of the teachers' effectiveness. Teachers were assessed on the Teacher Effectiveness Evaluation Form (TEEF), covering research-based practices for effective instruction for low-achieving students. Self-report instruments measured teachers' tolerance for maladaptive behavior and their propensity to resist placement of handicapped students in their classes. Those teachers with the most effective teaching strategies for low-achieving students tended to report (a) that they tolerate less maladaptive behavior in their classrooms and (b) that they may actively resist placement of handicapped students in their rooms.