A Comparison of First and Fifth Year Agriculture Teachers on Personal Teaching Efficacy, General Teaching Efficacy and Content Efficacy

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare first and fifth year agriculture teachers’ on general teaching efficacy, personal teaching efficacy, and content efficacy. Teacher efficacy has been defined as a two dimensional construct composed of personal teaching and general teaching efficacy. Personal teaching efficacy involves a teacher’s evaluation of their own capability to bring about student learning. General teaching efficacy reflects the degree a teacher believes other educators can control the learning environment despite influences such as family background, intelligence quotient (IQ) and school conditions (Gibson & Dembo, 1984). Content efficacy is the level of confidence an agriculture teacher possesses in agribusiness and economics, plant and soil science, animal science, agricultural mechanics and technology, and natural resources and environmental science. The sample consisted of first and fifth year agriculture teachers in Texas during the 2006–07 school year. A total of 129 first year teachers and 68 fifth year teachers were identified and 141 teachers responded yielding a 71% response rate. Personal teaching and general teaching efficacy were measured by the short form of the teacher efficacy scale (Woolfolk & Hoy, 1990). A researcher developed instrument was used to measure content efficacy.