Grit Mediation: Effect of Teaching Experience and Training Participation on Self Efficacy for Special Education Needs (SEN) Teachers

Teachers of Children with Special Needs in inclusive schools and Special Schools (SLB) often experience difficulties in carrying out their duties. The various challenges and obstacles that cause these difficulties have an impact on low self-efficacy, even though they have carried out their duties as children with special needs teachers for several years and have attended training. This research includes grit as a mediator in looking at the effect of teaching experience and training participation on their self-efficacy. This research is quantitative research using a correlational model. A total of 301 special education needs teachers participated in this research using a purposive sampling technique, consisting of 225 women and 76 men at various school levels. Data collection was carried out using questionnaires and scales that were tested using the Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) method from Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Data were analyzed using path analysis in Jeffreys’ Amazing Statistics Program (JASP). The results of the research show that all variables are positively correlated. Teaching experience and participation in training increase the teaching efficacy of special education needs teachers, with the mediation of grit. The correlation between grit and self-efficacy has the highest coefficient compared to the variables of teaching experience and training participation. The implications of this research show the importance of grit in increasing the self-efficacy of teachers of children with special needs, beyond the teaching experience and training attended.