Clearing hurdles in teacher adoption and sustained use of research-based instruction

Gersten et al., in this issue of JLD, have pinpointed variables that preclude teachers' sustenance of research-based instructional strategies. These variables fall squarely on the shoulders of intervention researchers. However, they have not attended to variables that stem from teachers themselves. Hence, in my commentary, I focus on teacher variables that account for their lack of initiation and sustenance of research-based instructional strategies. Specifically, I highlight teachers' (a) overarching conceptions of teaching, (b) subject-area knowledge, and (c) sense of self-efficacy. Of these, for reasons given in my article, I elaborate more on teacher self-efficacy. I conclude with suggestions on promoting teacher self-efficacy.