A teacher shortage in the area of special education has led to an increase in the number of alternatively certified special education teachers. Many alternative certification programs focus on content knowledge rather than pedagogical training, allowing many alternatively certified teachers into the classroom with little pedagogical training. There is an achievement gap between students with disabilities and their general education peers. Previous research has demonstrated that a positive relationship exists between teacher efficacy and student achievement. For these reasons this study examined the relationship between the method of certification for special education teachers and teacher efficacy in the areas of classroom management, instructional strategies, and student engagement. The Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale was used to measure the teacher-efficacy of 194 special education teachers. No relationship was found between method of certification and teacher-efficacy. However, the data did indicate statistically significant relationships between teacher-efficacy and gender, teacher autonomy, school level taught and years of experience. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]