TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF WORK ENVIRONMENT AND THEIR SENSE OF SELF-EFFICACY IN TEACHING EFL AT A UNIVERSITY IN VIETNAM

Abstract

The paper looked at environmental factors that influenced the self-efficacy in teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) of a group of university teachers in Vietnam. Very little empirical research on teachers‘ self-efficacy in EFL contexts has been done and self-efficacy quantitative studies heavily outnumber qualitative studies. The present research took the form of a qualitative case study. Data collection tools included focus group discussions, individual interviews, journaling, and observations. Findings suggest that there were certain features of work context, e.g. the teaching support and teaching recognition, which may have affected what constituted sources of efficacy information and how they operated. The study proposes that institutional support with regard to providing clearer policies, giving teachers more freedom in the classroom and more opportunities to get involved in the decision-making process might help teachers overcome feelings of doubt about how competent they were in their teaching. Moreover, it would be helpful to improve teaching conditions at the university, including providing enough textbooks and reducing class size. The development of professional programs or courses at the home institution that meet the teachers‘ knowledge needs may enable them to overcome doubt about their teaching abilities and engender in them a positive sense of self-efficacy.