The Correlation between Professional Development and Teacher's Self-Efficacy

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the correlation between professional development of the teaching staff in schools using training courses, and teacher self-efficacy. This study was conducted using the qualitative method, with 144 questionnaires given to teachers in training courses in the Pisgah Centers (Development of Teaching Staff Centers) in Israel, where the questionnaires examined the length of the training, the teacher's self-efficacy, and their standpoint regarding the professional development program. Results of the research show a distinct positive correlation between most of the teacher's standpoints and most of their feelings of self-efficacy. Thus the standpoint of the teachers on the subject of effective teaching methods of the organization predicted the feeling of self-efficacy in the objective, relationships and organizational factors. In addition, the teacher's standpoint on the subject of environment predicted the feeling of self-efficacy in the objective factor and the teacher's standpoint on the subject of ICT predicted the feeling of self-efficacy in both the objective and relationship factors. Furthermore, a definitive correlation was found between the length of the training course and the feeling of self-efficacy amongst the teachers in both the objective and organizational factors.