Through this quantitative educational approach, there is an attempt to depict and evaluate the Teaching Self-Efficacy of special educators. The research sample consisted of 200 special educators employed in public special education structures in Greece. The Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale [TSES] was utilized as a research tool. The data collection duration was 2 months (October 2016-November 2016). Results depict high scores in special educators’ Self-Efficacy. No differentiation to Self-Efficacy in relation to gender, experience and age, was identified, which coincides with the findings of recent studies. The results of the study are discussed in terms of educational placement.
There are various theoretical models which aim to interpret and depict Teaching Efficacy (Scheerens & Bosker, 1997) . According to Kyriakidis & Antoniou (2010) , Teaching Efficacy is considered to be not only non-static, but also dependent on factors such as school atmosphere, family background, student behavior and mainly the role of the teacher in the classroom. Thus, it can be assumed that Teachers’ Self-Efficacy is inseparably linked with a plethora of educational variables, such as the school structure, the students and of course the teachers themselves (Evers et al., 2002) . Emmer & Hickman (1991) state that the examination of Teachers’ Self-Efficacy should include the classroom, which is a place of strategic importance where self-efficacy is manifested and should of course be examined.
According to literature related with the measurement of special educators self-efficacy, an holistic non-targeted approach can be observed, with the use of general measurement instruments, which lack a specific framework and often obscure the concept of self-efficacy, isolating it from the situations, the context and the work related to it and presenting it as a generalized attribute of someone’s personality (Pajares, 1997) . Moreover, the examination of a special educator’s self-efficacy via a measurement instrument should include the classroom, which is of strategic importance and where self-efficacy is manifested and should of course be studied (Emmer & Hickman, 1991) .
Among various theories developed regarding the exploration of beliefs concerning their evolution on a personal and professional level, the theory of self-efficacy constitutes a theory which has been studied in depth. Self-efficacy as a concept is found in literature as “perceived self-efficacy”, which is determined by the person’s perceptions and beliefs about his/her self-efficacy. Thus, it can be concluded that self-efficacy entails the element of the individual-internal perception of the person, through an internal assessment (Tschannen-Moran & Hoy, 2007; Tschannen-Moran et al., 1998) .
The perception level of self-efficacy, however, is also an indicator of the outcome of future goals, a regulatory factor. Specifically, individuals with an acute perception of self-efficacy, in case of failing to achieve a goal, will prevent emotions of failure and abandonment of effort and will persistently be led to the fulfillment of the goal and maybe a new even more demanding goal setting. Low self-efficacy leads to a gradual undermining of a person’s self-confidence, an easy abandonment of effort, a cultivation of insecurity and the upcoming degradation of goals. Therefore, the perception of self-efficacy can predict the future actions of the person-educator and the course-accomplishment or not of goals which have been initially set (Bandura & Locke, 2003) .
Although literature is poor regarding the relation between emotional intelligence and the perception of self-efficacy, the current research date reveals that emotional intelligence is a key factor which contributes to the development of the perception of educators’ self-efficacy (Chan, 2004) .
Many studies about the effect of emotional intelligence on the perception of educators’ self-efficacy (Chan, 2004; Salami, 2007; Rastegar & Memarpour, 2009) showcased the positive correlation between emotional intelligence and educators’ self-efficacy in a sample of secondary education teachers. Since 1997, in Bandura’s sociocognitive theory the control of emotions, self-regulation and empathy, features which constitute the ingredients of emotional intelligence, have been of vital importance with regard to the perception of self-efficacy (Bandura, 1997) .
Special educators self-efficacy determination is tightly linked to a great number of variables which concern the school organization or any other structure in which an educator becomes active , the variety of students and of course himself (Evers et al., 2002) . In conditions of smooth functioning of the external variables, the educator feels able to respond to the demands, sets realistic goals and maintains a positive perception of his self-efficacy. Failing to fulfill the goals unsettles the educator himself, his self-efficacy and his ambitions about the future for fear of an upcoming repetitive failure (Tschannen-Moran & Hoy, 2007) .
The perception of educators’ self-efficacy affects teaching practices, his mobilization in the classroom and the management of students (see
Educators with high rates of self-efficacy do not adopt hegemonic teaching methods. On the contrary, they implement innovative educational programs, they are not critical towards their students and they spend more energy supporting and activating weak students. Self-efficacy renders educators excellent “managers” of the classroom with high adaptability to unexpected situations and more successful management of the learning population (see
The benefits of students due to the presence of an educator with high self-efficacy are evident. Specifically, research data favors a relation of positive pertinence between self-efficacy and the achievement of student autonomy. This achievement is possible due to the enrichment of the learning environment, the