Level Of Teacher Self-efficacy Research Articles

Middle School Teacher Self-Efficacy in the Implementation of the Learning Process in Indonesia

In the school environment, all teachers have a good level of teacher efficacy. However, in reality, many teachers still find low levels of efficacy. This has an impact on students' knowledge, understanding, and achievement in the school environment. This is urgent to be researched because there are similarities between theory, hope, and reality. So the research aims to analyze the factors that influence teachers' self-effectiveness in implementing Environmental Education in schools. The method in this research is quantitative research with regression. The subjects consisted of 300 teachers from private secondary schools and state secondary schools spread across Indonesia. Data collection techniques using instruments. Instruments developed from indicators and measured based on a Likert scale. Data analysis techniques using Statistics version 25.0 with descriptive (mean, standard deviation, frequency, and percentage) and inferential statistics using the Multiple Linear Regression method. The results and research findings show that the level of teacher self-efficacy in implementing Environmental Education in schools is moderate. It was found that the factors that influence teacher self-efficacy in the implementation of education are teacher awareness of the environment and teacher perceptions of the principal's learning leadership.

Hubungan Kepimpinan Teknologi Guru Besar Dengan Tahap Efikasi Kendiri Guru Di Sekolah Kebangsaan Daerah Seremban, Negeri Sembilan

The use of ICT is not something new among school members in the 21st era. However, in reality it still requires the solid support of all school members, especially the school leader, the head teacher as the most influential individual as a motivator for the subordinates of an organization. The relationship between headteacher technology-based leadership and its impact on the level of teacher self-efficacy is still unclear, especially in Malaysian national schools. Therefore, this study was carried out to see the relationship between headteacher technology leadership and the level of teacher self-efficacy in national schools in Seremban district, Negeri Sembilan. This quantitative study involved 207 national school teachers in Seremban district, Negeri Sembilan. A questionnaire was used as a research instrument and distributed online. To answer the research question, descriptive and inferential analysis was carried out using the SPSS 27 program. The results of the study found that technological leadership and the level of self-efficacy each reached a very high mean. The results of the Pearson correlation test also show a strong relationship between technology leadership and the level of teacher self-efficacy (r = 0.676, p = 0.001). Based on the findings, it can be concluded that the level of technological leadership of a head teacher will have an impact on the level of teacher self-efficacy. The results of this study show that the NETS-A technology leadership model is a comprehensive model and that the self-efficacy theory of Tschanen-Moran and Hoy (2001) is still relevant. This study can also help MoE and agencies under it, such as the Department of Education and the District Education Office, to improve their policies, especially regarding the use of ICT in school operations.

Perceptions and preparedness of secondary teacher trainees to foster inclusive schools for all

IntroductionThe advancement of inclusive education over the past few decades emphasizes the pivotal role of teachers in transforming the educational landscape. As schools transition toward a more inclusive approach, it is imperative to evaluate the efficacy of initial teacher training programs in preparing educators for this inclusive transition. This study aims to describe the preparedness and perceptions of students in the Master’s Degree in Secondary Education, Vocational Training, and Language Teaching (MDSE) regarding inclusive education, guided by the profile developed by the European Agency for the Development of Special Needs and Inclusive Education (AEDNEEI).MethodsFurthermore, the research analyzes how external factors, such as perceived self-efficacy, influence these perceptions and readiness for inclusive teaching. A total of 218 students enrolled in the MDSE, with an average age of 31.5 years and a standard deviation of 6, were examined. Of the participants, 33% were male and 67% were female. These students came from different Spanish universities and were either in the final stages of their studies or had already completed them. Prior to participating, they had finished the generic module and completed their practice sessions in secondary education centers. The “Teacher Training in Secondary Education: Key Elements for Teaching in an Inclusive School for All” (TTSE-IN) questionnaire was employed, which includes five validated and pertinent instruments, with four of them being employed for the study’s objectives: The “Questionnaire for Future Secondary Education Teachers about Perceptions of Diversity Attention,” the “Questionnaire for the Evaluation of Teacher Training for Inclusion CEFI-R,” the “Revised Scale of Feelings, Attitudes, and Concerns about Inclusive Education” (SACIE-R), and the “Brief Scale of Teacher Self-Efficacy.”Results and DiscussionThe results show the presence of positive attitudes in future educators along with a poor overall assessment of the training received, which raises concerns about the development of teaching functions more related to daily work in the classroom and the implementation of inclusive methodologies. At the same time, both regular and close contact with people in situations of special vulnerability, experience in training in nonformal contexts, and the level of teacher self-efficacy, in its different components, are postulated as some of the facilitators of the development of the postulates and values of inclusive education and predictors of greater capacity toward attention to diversity.

Preservice Teachers' Perceptions of Teacher Self-Efficacy in Kuwait Public Schools: A Qualitative Exploration

The research investigates pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy within the context of Kuwait’s public education system. The purpose of this research paper is to investigate preservice teachers’ knowledge of teacher self-efficacy, their perceptions of its importance and impact on their instruction, and to identify factors that the preservice teachers feel contribute to the development of positive self-efficacy. The research was conducted directly with the preservice teachers using the qualitative research method with structured interview questions. Results indicate that preservice teachers are aware of teacher self-efficacy, believe it influences their instruction in specific ways and can identify specific factors they believe play a key role in the development of high levels of teacher self-efficacy as they complete their preservice teacher education programs.
 
 Received: 16 September 2023 / Accepted: 20 October 2023 / Published: 5 November 2023

Technology integration skills, technostress, and self-efficacy of selected public elementary teachers in District III of Batangas city

The learning preference of students nowadays has changed due to technology. According to Hartman et al (2019), students no longer prefer the passive dissemination of information being delivered by a teacher. Yango et al. (2019) posit that studies show the introduction of the computer and the use of information and communications technology (ICT) in interpersonal interactions have altered how people interact with one another. Hence, teachers must be skillful enough to integrate technology into the learning process. Akram et al .(2022) revealed in their study that teachers have favorable opinions of the use of technology in teaching and learning procedures. They believe that incorporating technology into their lessons helps them improve their teaching strategies, make learning engaging and interactive, and keep students motivated. However, Dong et al. (2019) posit that teachers are under pressure to keep up with new technologies and to develop pedagogical usage of technologies due to the rapid development of technologies and the gradually increasing requirements for technology integration into teaching. Technostress is understood to be the adverse psychological reaction to the stress that results from using technology (Llorens as cited in Penado et al, 2021). According to studies, using technology in the classroom not only improves learning but also has a negative impact on both the self-efficacy of teachers and their satisfaction with their jobs (Lee & Lim, 2020). This study determined the respondents’ technology integration skills; level of technostress in terms of techno-overload, techno-invasion, and techno- complexity; level of teachers’ self-efficacy; and the relationship between respondents’ level of technology integration skills and level of technostress; between respondents’ level of technology skills and level of self-efficacy; between the respondents’ level of technostress and level of self-efficacy; and how predictive are the level of technology integration skills and level of technostress taken singly or in combination, level of self-efficacy of teachers in public schools in Batangas City. The researcher utilized descriptive-correlational method of research with the help of survey questionnaire as the main source of data. Out of the total population of 153 teachers from District III in Batangas, 110 were selected as the respondents. Based on the findings, the following conclusions were drawn: the teachers’ level of technology integration skills is high; their level of technostress is low; the while their level of self -efficacy is high. Meanwhile, findings revealed that the higher the teachers’ level of technology integration skills, the higher their level of technostress; also the higher the level of teachers’ technology integration skills, the higher their level of self-efficacy, lastly the higher the teachers’ level of techno-invasion, the higher their level of self-efficacy. In addition, it was also found that the independent variables techno- overload and overall technostress are drivers of level of teacher self-efficacy among public elementary school teachers.

Modeling the effect of loving pedagogy dispositions and teacher self-efficacy on teacher burnout.

Foreign language teaching is a demanding and challenging profession, and teacher burnout is a common issue in this field. There is a growing research interest in exploring the factors that can protect teachers from burnout and promote their well-being, as well as their effectiveness in the classroom. One such factor might be loving pedagogy, which refers to a teacher's positive and compassionate attitudes and behaviors toward their students. This study aimed to examine the association between Dispositions toward Loving Pedagogy (DTLP), teacher self-efficacy, and teacher burnout among a sample of Chinese English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers. The participants included 428 English teachers from various parts of China. Data on the three constructs were gathered using an electronic survey which comprised three valid questionnaires for these variables. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the hypothesized relations among the latent constructs. The results indicated that loving pedagogy dispositions negatively affected teacher burnout and that teacher self-efficacy mediated the effect of loving pedagogy on burnout. More precisely, higher levels of loving pedagogy were associated with greater levels of teacher self-efficacy, which is in turn negatively affected teacher burnout. These outcomes shed more light on the importance of loving pedagogy dispositions for teachers' mental health and well-being. The findings have implications for theory and practice, as they suggest that fostering loving pedagogy dispositions among teachers can help prevent burnout and promote their well-being. Teacher training programs could integrate this construct into their curricula to support teachers in developing these attitudes and behaviors. Additionally, future research could explore ways to enhance loving pedagogy and self-efficacy among teachers and assess their impact on teacher well-being and effectiveness.

Hubungan Amalan Kepimpinan Transformasional Guru Besar Dengan Efikasi Kendiri Guru Di Daerah Tuaran

The self-efficacy of teachers is increasingly affected by the reality of the challenges and burdens of tasks in the field of education today. There are studies showing that the practice of transformational leadership of head teachers can help to increase the level of self-efficacy of teachers. Hence, this study aims to identify the level of transformational leadership practices of head teachers and the level of teacher self-efficacy as well as the relationship between the transformational leadership of the head teacher and the self-efficacy of the teacher. The design of the study is a survey with a quantitative approach using a set of questionnaires in the form of 'google form' to collect data among a population of 290 people and a sample size of 167 teachers in Tuaran district through simple random sampling techniques. The reliability of the questionnaire is at the value of a=0.930. The findings confirm that the level of transformational leadership practices of head teachers in Tuaran district as a whole is at a very high level (mean=4.38 s.p=0.483) and the teacher's self-efficacy level are also at very high levels (mean=4.421, s.p=0.417). Pearson's Correlation Analysis showed that there was a significant relationship of 0.000 (p<0.01) between the transformational leadership of the head teacher and the self-efficacy of the teacher in a strong positive correlation r=0.601. The proposed of further study involves several districts with more respondents using a combined quantitative and qualitative approach to the findings of more comprehensive study to identify how and to what extent the level of transformational leadership practices of head teachers in improving the level of teacher self-efficacy.

DESCRIPTIVE STUDY OF TEACHER SELF EFFICACY WITH GENDER PERSPECTIVE IN KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS

Teachers are not always sure with their own abilities when teaching, hesitant to take action when they meet students who are considered difficult to direct and need support to communicate student progress to parents. The competence of teachers is based on belief in their own abilities, named self-efficacy. Teacher self-efficacy is the belief that a teacher has ability to teach, manage classes, make decisions, motivate and communicate with students effectively. Objective: describe teacher self-efficacy and to prove differences in teacher self-efficacy levels based on gender of kindergarten teachers in Tangerang, Indonesia. Methods: quantitative research using survey research methods with the non-probability sampling technique of the convenience method. The research subjects (N = 54) were kindergarten teachers. The descriptive statistical test in this study used a comparison between the hypothetical mean scale and the empirical mean. The Crosstabs method to see the relationship between teacher self-efficacy based on gender and the Explore method to determine teachers who have the highest and lowest levels of teacher self-efficacy based on gender. Results: with a measurement scale of 1-7, the hypothetical mean is 4 < 5.3188 the empirical mean of teachers' self-efficacy, shows that kindergarten teachers have a high level of teacher self-efficacy. In addition, Chi-Square = 48,938 with a significance value (p) 0.049 <0.05, shows that there is a significant relationship to the teacher self-efficacy based on the gender of kindergarten teachers in Tangerang. Conclusion: kindergarten teachers at several kindergarten school in Tangerang have a high level of teacher self-efficacy and there is a significant relationship between teacher self-efficacy and gender.

Investigating Teachers’ Beliefs in Inclusive Education and Their Levels of Teacher Self-Efficacy: Are Teachers Constrained in Their Capacity to Implement Inclusive Teaching Practices?

Inclusive education caters for all students and embraces their unique characteristics, backgrounds, and abilities. While many challenges persist that prevent inclusion from being fully embraced and implemented, such as varying definitions of what inclusion is at an international, national, and intra-national level, teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion and their belief in their capabilities may play an important role. This paper examined the relationship between 208 Australian primary and secondary teachers’ beliefs in inclusive education and their levels of teacher self-efficacy using t-tests. The relationship between these factors and teachers’ years of teaching experience, age, and qualifications were also investigated. The findings show that teachers who believe inclusive education is an effective way to teach all students reported higher levels of teacher self-efficacy than those who did not. Differences across teacher demographics raised a number of questions, including the role of additional qualifications and the potential influence of social attitudes towards inclusion over time on teachers’ own beliefs, each of which warrants investigation. Recommendations from the findings suggest that professional learning which supports teachers to successfully implement inclusive teaching strategies, may assist to bolster their belief in their capabilities in inclusive classrooms and in the effectiveness of inclusive education for all.

An Intended or Alternative Profession?: ELL Undergraduates’ Attitudes towards Being an English Teacher

Purpose: Prospective teachers are trained with essential knowledge and skills in teacher education programs of all teaching fields at education faculties of universities in Turkiye. In addition, graduates of specific departments at faculties also have a chance to become a teacher by successfully completing pedagogical formation certificate programs. Thus, it is a matter of question what the main purpose of undergraduate students when beginning to study or studying at these departments is: becoming a teacher or not. Along with this inquiry, this paper presents a quantitative study focusing on reasons for department choice of undergraduates studying at English Language and Literature (ELL) department and their attitudes towards being a language teacher within the scope of teacher self-efficacy beliefs.
 Design/Methodology/Approach: Data of this quantitative study were collected from 220 undergraduates studying at English Language and Literature department of a state university in Turkiye by administering scales on the research purpose.
 Findings: The findings suggested that the primary reason reported was an interest in the department with knowledge and skills to be gained, which was followed by becoming an English language teacher with high level of teacher self-efficacy.
 Highlights: Even though there is no explicit focus on becoming an English teacher as part of curricula of non-ELT departments, undergraduates studying at these programs consider being an English teacher as the primary career option, which could lead to a need to evaluate curricula of these programs and teacher education.

Interdisciplinary teaching practices in STEAM education in Brazil

This study explored primary school teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs about interdisciplinary teaching practices related to science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) education and project-based learning to understand teacher perceptions and practices and to recommend some teacher training according to the national curricular standards in Brazil. Qualitative data were gathered using semi-structured interviews carried out with in-service teachers, which were supplemented by a questionnaire featuring both closed-ended and open-ended questions. The data were subsequently subjected to quantitative analysis. The findings reveal that while most teachers are familiar with and incorporate project-based learning into their pedagogical approaches, their awareness of and training in STEAM education are limited. Nevertheless, teachers perceived themselves as being very competent across most STEAM domains, including interdisciplinary curricular integration and projects. Chemistry, physics and arts are exceptions, with lower levels of teacher self-efficacy when compared to the other disciplines. This article examines the implications of these findings for pedagogical practices and teacher training in Brazil, while addressing what are teachers’ current perceptions of STEAM practices, encompassing project-based learning and interdisciplinarity. It identifies the training requirements necessary to enhance their confidence in teaching science, while integrating arts-related subjects.

Editorial – Dr Coral Sirdifield and Charlie Brooker

Teacher self-efficacy (TSE) is a frequently studied construct due to its positive relations with student outcomes. However, TSE of teachers in inclusive early childhood special education (ECSE) classrooms has seldom been studied. To fill this gap, we examined the extent to which (a) teachers exhibited differing levels of TSE for students; (b) children’s characteristics, particularly disability status and learning behaviors, were associated with TSE; and (c) relations between children’s characteristics and TSE remained consistent across an academic year. Thirty-seven teachers of inclusive ECSE classrooms completed surveys to ascertain their student-specific TSE and children’s learning behaviors for 114 children. Results indicated that teachers had different levels of TSE for students in their classrooms. Children’s characteristics, particularly their attention/persistence, were related to TSE, with more relations shown between TSE and children’s characteristics at the start of the school year than at the end. Implications for teacher professional development are discussed.

Academic resilience from school entry to third grade: Child, parenting, and school factors associated with closing competency gaps.

There is substantial evidence confirming that children who begin school with strong developmental skills tend to maintain positive academic trajectories across the elementary school years. Much less is known about children who begin school with poorer developmental competencies yet go on to achieve academically on par with, or above, their initially more competent peers, demonstrating academic resilience. This study used a large population dataset, the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (n = 2,118) to identify children who demonstrated academic resilience between school entry and third grade, and the child, parenting, and school characteristics associated with this resilience. Findings show that two in five children who were initially identified as academically vulnerable on a school entry measure of language and cognitive skills were classified as academically resilient by Grade 3. In multivariate analysis, higher attentional regulation and receptive vocabulary skills were key factors associated with academic resilience in reading and numeracy, along with paternal consistency (for reading resilience) and fewer sleep problems (for numeracy resilience). Bivariate relations (ANOVAs) showed that resilient children, when compared to children who remained vulnerable, also showed fewer peer problems, fewer behavioral sleep problems, higher levels of parenting consistency and lower levels of parenting anger by mothers and fathers, higher levels of parental engagement in children's school, and higher levels of teacher self-efficacy. Supporting resilient pathways for children who are identified as vulnerable at school entry should include a particular focus on vocabulary development and attentional regulation, along with social skills and peer relationships, school-based parental engagement, and positive parenting support.

Cognitive and Emotional Development of STEM Skills in Primary School Teacher Training through Practical Work

Several studies highlight that trainee primary school teachers show negative emotions towards learning and teaching STEM subjects with low levels of teacher self-efficacy in these areas. The general objective of this research was to analyse the cognitive, emotional and didactic development of STEM competences in trainee primary school teachers. Practical STEM experiences were designed and implemented to promote a positive evolution in the cognitive, affective and self-efficacy domains of future primary school teachers. A quasi-experimental research design was followed with a control group, experimental group, pre-test and post-test. The teaching methodology used was considered as the independent variable and the level of knowledge, the level of teaching self-efficacy and the emotions experienced when learning and teaching STEM content were considered as dependent variables. A non-probabilistic sample of 345 trainee primary school teachers took part in the study. The results led to the development of more than 70 STEM workshops. The inferential statistical analysis revealed the existence of statistically significant differences in all the variables of the study, detecting a positive evolution of the trainee teachers at a didactic, competence and emotional level. It is concluded that the use of practical STEM activities may lead to an improvement in the professional development of teachers and in the quality of science and technology teaching.

The Role of Teacher Self-Efficacy in Special Education Teacher Candidates’ Sensemaking: A Mixed-Methods Investigation

Shifts in special education over the last 25 years have increased the pressure on special education teacher preparation programs to improve the quality of opportunities to learn provided to teacher candidates. One aspect of quality that has not been extensively explored in the literature is the interaction between the individual candidate—the learner—and preparation experiences. Using survey and interview data from special education teacher candidates across six teacher preparation programs, we explore how candidates with differing levels of teacher self-efficacy (TSE) experience preparation. Findings suggest that TSE shaped how candidates made sense of preparation and what they took up from their opportunities to learn. Across phases, candidates with low- and high-TSE differed in how they reported on their learning opportunities and then how they interpreted these opportunities as shaping their future practice. We end with implications for research, policy, and practice in special education teacher preparation.

The Implicit Contribution of Principal’s Self-Awareness Towards Teacher Self-Efficacy

The main focus of this study was to look at the influence of the authentic leadership of the principals and the self-efficacy level of teachers in Pendang district, Kedah. The quantitative survey method using the questionnaire was adopted in this study. The study respondents consisted of 254 teachers randomly selected from 10 national secondary schools in Penang district, Kedah. The benchmark used for authentic leadership is to use the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire (ALQ -Version 1) of the original instrument developed by Avolio, Gardner, and Walumbwa (2007). Similarly, the teacher self-efficacy questionnaire was used in Hoy and Woolfolk's (1993) short form of the Teacher Efficacy Scale developed by Moran, Hoy, and Hoy (1998). The findings show that there is a significant relationship between the dimensions of authentic leadership and the self-efficacy of teachers in Pendang, Kedah. However, there is only one dimension that influences the teacher's self-efficacy, which is the dimension of self-awareness. Based on the findings of this study, it is hoped that it will contribute useful information to help educators in cultivating the principals' leadership style and high levels of teacher self-efficacy to produce symmetrical human capital.

Examination of classroom teachers’ technological pedagogical content knowledge and teacher self-efficacy beliefs

This study aims to examine classroom teachers’ technological pedagogical content knowledge and classroom teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs. The research was conducted in the correlational research model, one of the general survey models. The sample of the research consisted of 1127 classroom teachers working in 150 primary schools affiliated with the Manisa Provincial Directorate of National Education in the 2020-2021 academic year. The research data were collected using online data collection tools consisting of three parts. “Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge Scale for Classroom Teachers” and “Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale” were used as data collection tools. Descriptive statistics, ANOVA, Kruskal Wallis H Test and Pearson Correlation analyses were used in the analysis of the data. The results of the research showed that classroom teachers’ technological pedagogical content knowledge and self-efficacy beliefs were at a high level. It was determined that the technological pedagogical content knowledge of classroom teachers showed statistically significant differences according to the variables of the duration of computer technology usage and the duration of mobile technology usage, and it was determined that there was no statistically significant difference in terms of gender and professional seniority variables. Teacher self-efficacy levels of classroom teachers showed a statistically significant difference in terms of professional seniority, duration of use of computer technologies and duration of mobile technologies, but there was no significant difference in terms of gender. Finally, with Pearson Correlation Analysis, it was concluded that there was a high level of a positive and significant relationship between classroom teachers’ technological pedagogical content knowledge and teacher self-efficacy beliefs.

Efficacy Beliefs and Metacognitive Awareness in English Language Teaching and Teacher Education

Teacher self-efficacy and metacognitive awareness could be regarded as significant in teaching and teacher education due to psychological and cognitive aspects of them which are directly linked to quality of teaching since 21st century skills which involve elaborate use of cognitive skills also necessitate teachers having those skills as well, which is part of metacognitive awareness. Thus, this paper presents findings of a mixed-method study that has been conducted with pre-service (N=97) and in-service (N=53) English language teachers on their perceived levels of teacher self-efficacy and metacognitive awareness and aimed to explore any similarities or differences between the two groups in the two variables taking into account that a comparison could reveal further issues to consider such as factor leading to them. For this purpose, teacher self-efficacy scale developed and validated by the researchers and Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (Schraw & Dennison, 1994) were administered to the participants and followed by semi-structured interviews focusing on in-depth analyses of quantitative data. The findings indicated that in-service teachers had higher levels of metacognitive awareness than pre-service teachers whereas levels of their teacher self-efficacy were not significantly different. Qualitative data, on the other hand, suggested a number of factors leading to that difference.

The Relationship Between the Lifelong Learning Tendencies and Teacher Self-Efficacy Levels of Social Studies Teacher Candidates

Abstract Lifelong learning emerges as an important dimension in the implementation of sustainable education policies of countries. The conception of developing citizenship competencies, which is at the centre of social studies, plays an important role in shaping the lifelong learning process. The purpose of this study is to analyse the lifelong learning tendencies and teacher self-efficacy levels of social studies teacher candidates in terms of different variables and to determine the relationship between social studies teacher candidates’ lifelong learning tendencies and teacher self-efficacy levels. The study group of the research consists of 307 social studies teacher candidates studying at the education faculty of a public university in the 2016–2017 academic years. The data collection tools used in the research, which was designed in relational survey model, are “Lifelong Learning Tendency Scale” developed by Diker Coşkun (2009), “Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale” adapted into Turkish by Çapa, Çakıroğlu and Sarıkaya (2005) and a Personal Information Form prepared by the researchers. The data of the study are analysed using SPSS 24 statistical software. As a result of the research, it is found that the lifelong learning tendency levels of the social studies teacher candidates are high and their teacher self-efficacy levels are very high. Lifelong learning tendencies and teacher self-efficacy levels of teacher candidates show statistically significant differences in terms of grade level, and taking education for personal and professional development. It is concluded that teacher self-efficacy levels of teacher candidates are a significant predictor of their lifelong learning tendencies.

Am I to blame? Teacher self-efficacy and attributional beliefs towards students with specific learning disabilities

ABSTRACT This study of 105 Australian in-service teachers investigated the relationship between teacher self-efficacy and teachers’ causal beliefs towards students with and without specific learning disabilities. Results found that teachers reporting higher levels of teacher self-efficacy provided more positive feedback, less frustration, and held lower expectations of future failure towards all students, regardless of students’ ability levels, effort expenditure, or the presence of a specific learning disability. Additionally, teachers reporting higher levels of teacher self-efficacy displayed greater sympathy towards students who expended low effort. The findings suggest that teachers with higher levels of teacher self-efficacy may undertake a teacher-intrapersonal causal search to explain student underachievement, in comparison to teachers with lower levels of teacher self-efficacy who may undertake an interpersonal causal search.