The current paper explores the relationship between technological knowledge, beliefs about technology use in education, beliefs about the limits of technology use with respect to children with disabilities, self-efficacy beliefs, and their effects on technology use or teacher practices in the special education setting regarding mathematics education. Research was conducted via an online questionnaire. A total of 83 teachers working in the field of special education answered the questionnaire. The answers were analyzed via quantitative and qualitative analyses. In addition, correlational analyses were conducted. A prediction model that included all the aforementioned variables was tested. Our regression analysis evidenced the strong predictive value of technology-related knowledge with respect to technology integration practices but not toward the other models that included beliefs. Through mediation analysis, we found that technology-related knowledge mediates the relationship between self-efficacy and technology integration practices. The qualitative findings provided information on the interplay between knowledge, practice, and beliefs that are contextualized; on the specificity of technology-related knowledge. Implications are discussed with reference to factors important for the professional development of teachers with regard to technology integration.
Keywords: digital technologies; intellectual disabilities; teachers’ beliefs; technology-related knowledge.