Teacher Efficacy Scale Research Articles

The Relationship Between School Organizational Climate and Teachers’ Organizational Citizenship Behaviors: The Mediating Role of Teaching Efficacy and Moderating Role of Optimistic Traits

This study examined the relationship between school organizational climate and teachers’ organizational citizenship behavior, as well as the mediating role of teaching efficacy and the moderating role of optimistic traits. This study was based on social information processing theory, resource conservation theory, and the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. We conducted a comprehensive survey of 500 educators from Chinese primary and secondary schools using the Organizational Citizenship Behavior Questionnaire, School Organizational Climate Scale, Sense of Teaching Efficacy Scale, and Optimistic Traits Questionnaire as assessment tools. The results demonstrated that (1) school organizational climate significantly and positively predicted teachers’ organizational citizenship behaviors; (2) teaching efficacy partially mediated the relationship between school organizational climate and teachers’ organizational citizenship behaviors; and (3) optimistic traits moderated the second half of the mediation model in which school organizational climate influenced teachers’ organizational citizenship behaviors through teaching efficacy. Our findings indicated that school organizational climate was an important environmental factor affecting teachers’ organizational citizenship behaviors through their sense of teaching efficacy. Optimistic traits had an important protective effect on teachers’ organizational citizenship behaviors.

Inclusive education in Sweden

Background and aim: Teachers’ positive attitudes towards inclusive education are taken to be critical to providing education that better meets pupils’ learning. Studies have therefore tried to clarify interaction between teachers’ attitudes and inclusive education. The present study reports data on teachers’ attitudes, self-efficacy and collaboration towards inclusive education in Sweden. Nation-wide data were collected from teachers before they joined a national professional development programme aimed at strengthening schools' competence in adapting teaching to the conditions and needs of pupils. Methods: Participants were 2,348 (51,6%) out of 4,553 targeted teachers that answered an online survey. The survey included three instruments: the Ohio State Teacher Efficacy Scale (OSTES), the Sentiments, Attitudes and Concerns about Inclusive Education – Revised (SACIE-R), and bespoke questions about teachers’ attitudes towards collegial learning (TACL). Mean values and correlations were assessed. Responses to an open question about teachers’ expectations ahead of starting their training programme were analyzed in NVivo, using word frequency analysis. Results: Three-quarters of respondents show overall positive responses towards adapting their teaching to the conditions and needs of pupils. However, almost two-thirds of teachers do also report significant concerns about their ability to do inclusive education well. Scores remained largely unaffected by public or private school ownership, nor did the affluence of school catchment areas affect teacher scores. Conclusions: The self-reported attitudes, self-efficacy and collaboration among teachers in Sweden towards adapting their teaching to the conditions and needs of pupils support positive research conclusions: although they do have concerns likely to be founded on professional considerations, teachers are by and large positive about meeting pupils’ learning needs.

Measuring dimensions of teacher resilience in Africa: Self-efficacy and teacher efficacy

With this article we aimed to contribute evidence on reliable and valid measurement of teacher resilience in an under researched African context and population. Scales from an existing instrument, ENTREEi, were used to measure the resilience of pre-service teachers at a South African university. The sample constituted 1,193 final-year pre-service teachers (20–32 years), who completed the FIRE teacher resilience measure (2015 to 2017). Teacher resilience data were purposively selected from the FIRE dataset and items analysed related to self-efficacy and teacher efficacy beliefs. A quantitative approach was used, which consisted of reliability (internal consistency using Cronbach’s alpha) and validity (construct validity using Spearman correlations) analyses of the teacher resilience scale and the teacher efficacy scale. The statistical analyses indicate that the FIRE teacher resilience measure is a reliable and valid measure for intrapersonal resilience-enabling pathways in a challenged context. The underlying variable structure of the teacher resilience scale and teacher efficacy scale held in a Global South setting when used with pre-service teachers. The article contributes to teacher resilience measurement discourse by providing insights into the utility of teacher resilience scales in South Africa. The results act as a precursor for comparative teacher resilience results worldwide for future studies.

Measuring Self-Efficacy Beliefs in Teaching Inquiry-Based Science and the Nature of Scientific Inquiry

AbstractInquiry-based science teaching (IBST) is a key goal of science education reforms worldwide. Recent research highlights the importance of infusing inquiry teaching with knowledge about the nature of scientific inquiry, and not just focusing on procedural skills to do inquiry. However, such an endeavour requires teachers to have high levels of self-efficacy. Given the lack of valid and reliable measurement instruments for Spanish-speaking teachers, the present study adapted and validated Aydeniz et al. Science and Education, 30(1), 103–120, (2021) Inquiry-Based Science Teaching Efficacy Scale (IBSTES, Science & Education, 30:103–120). Confirmatory factor analysis on data from 428 pre-service teachers in kindergarten and elementary school revealed a two-factor structure, which is consistent with the conceptual framework of IBST. The two factors measured self-efficacy beliefs regarding (1) helping students improve their understanding of the nature of scientific inquiry and (2) helping students develop procedural skills for conducting scientific inquiry. Both factors demonstrated very high reliability (> 0.90), as assessed by Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega. This latent structure was invariant across genders, suggesting that the instrument can be used with both male and female prospective teachers, allowing for gender comparisons. This study is the first of its kind to validate in Spanish a self-efficacy scale for IBST that specifically tackles the epistemological understanding of the nature of scientific inquiry. The Spanish IBSTES provides a valuable tool for researchers and practitioners to assess and support teacher self-efficacy, which is essential for the success of educational reforms.

Collective teacher efficacy and its relationship to attitudes to inclusion of students with special educational needs in Sweden

ABSTRACT This study aimed to investigate the perceived collective teacher efficacy, teacher attitudes to inclusion of students with special educational needs, and the relationship between the constructs in a sample of Swedish teachers. The participants were 930 teachers involved in the Inclusive Behavioural Support in Schools implementation programme. The teachers answered the two questionnaires: The Teacher Attitudes to Inclusion Scale Swedish version (TAIS-Sw) and the Collective Teacher Efficacy Scale (CTES). The questionnaires were analysed and adapted to fit the sample adequately. This exploration identified a three-factor model for TAIS-Sw that is suitable for the data. The three latent variables related to classroom management, perception of the positive effects of inclusion for all students, and objections towards segregated special education. For CTES, a two-factor model showed a good fit for the data. The latent variables were related to aspects of teachers’ competence, including belief in competency and skills to teach all students. The questionnaires identified positive expressions of collective teacher efficacy but more hesitant attitudes to inclusion. Structural equation modelling was used to investigate the relationship between the constructs of collective teacher efficacy and attitudes to inclusion, revealing a small positive relationship. Further investigations could help identify factors supporting successful inclusive practices.

The Relationship between Organizational Climate and Teaching Innovation among Preschool Teachers: The Mediating Effect of Teaching Efficacy.

Preschool teachers' teaching innovation is an important factor in enhancing teaching quality and improving children's creativity. Based on ecological systems theory and self-determination theory, the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between kindergartens' organizational climate and preschool teachers' teaching innovation and the mediating role of teaching efficacy in it. In this study, an online questionnaire was distributed to 2092 preschool teachers from different provinces using an Organizational Climate Scale, Teaching Efficacy Scale, and Teaching Innovation Scale. The study used SPSS 25.0 software and the SPSS PROCESS macro program for data processing. The results showed that there was a positive correlation among kindergartens' organizational climate, teaching efficacy, and teaching innovation, and that kindergartens' organizational climate not only directly and positively predicted teaching innovation, but also indirectly predicted teaching innovation through the mediating role of teaching efficacy. The study explored the internal and external influences on preschool teachers' teaching innovation and revealed their underlying mechanisms, providing theoretical support for research and educational practice on preschool teachers' teaching innovation and children's creativity.

Principal Support and Teacher Self-Efficacy as Predictors of Collective Teacher Efficacy

<p style="text-align: justify;">This study investigated the extent to which demographic variables, principal support and teacher self-efficacy contribute to the collective teacher efficacy. In the study, a non-probability purposive sample was used, which included 761 teachers working in compulsory primary schools in all parts of the Republic of Croatia. The first part of the administered online questionnaire provided data on sociodemographic characteristics of the respondents, while in the second part, the following scales were used: The Principal Support Scale, The Teacher Sense of Teacher Efficacy Scale and The Collective Teacher Efficacy Scale. The results of the performed regression analyses show that: 1) the demographic variables - workplace, promotion to a higher rank and principal support have a predictive value in explaining teachers’ self-efficacy; 2) an average number of students per class, promotion to a higher rank, principal support, teacher engagement and teaching strategies have a predictive value in explaining collective teacher efficacy. The findings of this study will be discussed in terms of their potential impact and future research.</p>

Validation of Hungarian Version of Teacher Responsibility Scale in Pre-Service Teachers

Several instruments measure teacher responsibility, but none is available in Hungarian. Thus, this study aimed to adapt a Hungarian version of the Teacher Responsibility Scale (TRS) developed by Lauermann and Karabenick and validate it. The sample was pre-service teachers ( N = 296). The results of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported the hypothesized structure of the Hungarian version of the TRS. The four factors (responsibility for student motivation, student achievement, relationships with students, and teaching) had satisfactory internal consistencies (Cronbach’s alphas = .75–.83), and the test–retest reliability was moderate (intraclass correlation coefficients = .64–.75). Correlation patterns of the TRS with the Teacher Efficacy Scale and the Approaches to Instruction scale confirmed the convergent and divergent validity. Based on these results, the Hungarian version of the TRS is a valid, reliable instrument suitable for use in further research in Hungarian pre-service teachers.

An Examination of Chinese Physical Education Teachers’ Teaching Efficacy and Technology Self-Efficacy at the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic

The aim of this study was to examine teaching and technology status of physical education (PE) teachers under the ongoing influence of COVID-19. A total of 1,005 in-service PE teachers completed the Physical Education Teaching Efficacy Scale (PETES) and Educator Technology Self-Efficacy Survey (ETS-ES) electronically to measure current teaching efficacy and perceived technology self-efficacy. The findings revealed that the teachers’ overall PE teaching efficacy level was high (8.08 ± 1.27) whereas, technological self-efficacy was at a moderate level (3.45 ± 0.44). Meanwhile, Efficacy for Using Technology significantly and positively predicted Technology Self-Efficacy ( p < .001). In conclusion, Chinese in-service PE teachers in primary and secondary schools exhibited a high level of competence in PE teaching. However, their proficiency in utilizing technology for educational purposes needed improvement. While these educators possessed fundamental online teaching skills, they often encountered challenges in adapting to technology-enhanced teaching methods. Education and training institutions should improve their existing curriculum, and schools need to continue to develop and train in-service teachers.

Primary school teachers' perceived organizational support and job satisfaction: The mediating role of collective efficacy

We examined how perceived organizational support and collective efficacy affect the job satisfaction of primary school teachers in China, and explored whether collective efficacy mediates the relationship between perceived organizational support and job satisfaction. We gathered data from 245 teachers using the Job Diagnostic Survey, the Organizational Support Measurement Scale, and the Collective Teacher Efficacy Scale. Our results confirmed there were positive correlations between job satisfaction and perceived organizational support, and between job satisfaction and teachers' collective efficacy, supporting our initial hypotheses. Notably, perceived organizational support directly influenced teachers' job satisfaction and also indirectly influenced their job satisfaction through collective efficacy, highlighting the potential for future research to explore strategies that enhance both organizational support and collective efficacy, ultimately ensuring teachers find satisfaction in their job.

Revalidation of Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale using Ghanaian in‐service teachers: Multidimensional item response theory with factor analyses

AbstractTeachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES), since its development, has gained much popularity because of its adequate psychometric properties. Yet, scholarly information on the soundness of this instrument in the African context has not been documented. Besides, the previous validation studies on the TSES have yielded mixed results with different factor structures, calling for further studies to test its utility and use across different cultures. The purpose of this study was to revalidate the TSES in Ghana using item response theory (IRT) complemented by factor analyses. Through a validation study approach, 693 basic school teachers were purposively sampled to participate in the research by responding to the Teacher Efficacy Scale. The between‐item and within‐item multidimensional IRT analyses combined with factor analysis were performed to understand how the items functioned with intentions to propose a well‐fit instrument within the Ghanaian context. The outcome of this research revealed that the original TSES with a three‐factor structure, 24 items measured on a 9‐point scale did not provide an optimal measure of teachers' self‐efficacy within the Ghanaian context. Rather, a three‐structure scale with 18 items and a 6‐point scale offered a maximal measure of teachers' self‐efficacy. The practical implications of the findings are discussed.

Exploration of the Longitudinal Development of Physical Education Teacher Efficacy: Understanding the Key Influences Impacting Preservice Teachers

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the longitudinal development of physical education (PE) teacher efficacy (TE) of preservice teachers. Method: Participants included 287 preservice teachers from six U.K. higher education institutions. Data were collected over 3 years using an online questionnaire that included a validated PE teaching efficacy scale with the same preservice teachers. Primary analysis included a one-way analysis of variance to examine variances across institutions, gender, and time, followed by four multilevel linear regression models using MLwiN. Results: No significant mean score differences were found in PE TE between entry point and program completion, F(5, 282) = 1.29, p = .268; F(5, 283) = 0.66, p = .65. Yet, significant differences in PE TE concerning gender, teaching, coaching, and voluntary experiences were found at the intralevel (p < .01). Discussion: The professionalization phase did not lead to significant advancements in PE TE. Findings support the necessity of a PE efficacy development model during professionalization.

유아교사의 교사협력과 교사효능감간의 관계에서 그릿의 매개효과

The purpose of this study is to select teacher cooperation and grit as variables that affect early childhood teachers' teacher efficacy and to confirm the mediating role of grit in the relationship between teacher cooperation and teacher efficacy. For this purpose, data were collected using the ‘Teacher Cooperation Scale’, ‘Teacher Efficacy Scale’, and ‘Grit-O Scale’ targeting 241 early childhood teachers working at early childhood education institutions located in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do. The collected data were analyzed using the SPSS 24.0 program to analyze the mediating effect of grit in the relationship between teacher cooperation and teacher efficacy.
 As a result of the study, in the correlation between early childhood teachers' teacher cooperation, teacher efficacy, and grit, all three variables showed a significant positive correlation with each other. In addition, grit had a partial mediating effect in the relationship between early childhood teachers' teacher cooperation and teacher efficacy. This means that teacher cooperation affects teacher efficacy, and grit can contribute to this as a psychological competency. In order to improve the efficacy of early childhood teachers, efforts are needed to enhance grit through cooperative relationships with fellow teachers. To this end, various suggestions are discussed, such as policy guaranteeing opportunities and time to autonomously participate in teacher learning communities.

한국판 유아교사용 교사효능감 척도 개발 및 타당화 연구

The purpose of this study is to develop a Korean version of the teacher self-efficacy scale for early childhood teachers by adapting Bandura's (2006) teacher self-efficacy scale (TSES) and considering the contextual suitability of early childhood education in Korea, and to verify its validity and reliability. In the preliminary investigation, the constructs and questions of the Korean version of the teacher efficacy scale for early childhood teachers were explored through literature analysis, translation-back-translation, and content validity verification. As a result of the preliminary investigation, a preliminary draft of 6 constructs and 28 questions was developed. In main survey, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and reliability analysis were conducted on 305 early childhood teachers to verify the scale goodness of the Korean version of the teacher efficacy scale for early childhood teachers. As a result of the study, the Korean version of the teacher efficacy scale for early childhood teachers was developed with 6 constructs and 28 questions, and the Cronbach’s α coefficient was found to be .96. Therefore, the Korean version of the teacher efficacy scale for early childhood teachers developed in this study was found to be an appropriate scale for measuring the teacher efficacy of early childhood teachers.

보육교사의 놀이성과 직장 내 사회적지지가 놀이교수효능감에 미치는 영향

Objectives The purposes of this study is to investigate the effect of childcare teachers’ Playfulness and social support within the workplace on their play teaching efficacy.
 Methods This research was conducted with 233 childcare teachers. Childcare teachers responded to the playful-ness scale, the social support within the workplace scale, and the play teaching efficacy scale. The collected data were analyzed by using the SPSS 25.0 program.
 Results The childcare teachers’ playfulness and social support were the major factors that explained the play teaching efficacy. It was found that the playfulness of childcare teachers is high and the play teaching efficacy in-creases with a lot of social support. Especially the childcare teachers’ social support had much greater effect on their play teaching efficacy than other factors did.
 Conclusions This study has academic significance in considering the effects of early childcare teachers’ playful-ness and social support within the workplace on their play teaching efficacy. These results are significant in that they can be used in the development of childcare teachers’ education programs to improve play teaching efficacy.

Tale of the tape: psychometric investigation of two popular teacher self-efficacy scales

ABSTRACT This study compares the psychometric properties of two popular teacher self-efficacy scales, namely, Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) and Teacher Efficacy Scale (TES). This study was quantitative in nature and distributed the two scales to 287 preservice teachers in the USA and in Australia. Findings indicate that the two scales function well and show linear measurement properties after Rasch optimization. However, the TES’s factor of general teacher efficacy was found to have very low reliability. Regression analyses indicated a significant positive relationship between the Student Engagement subscale of TSES and TES. There is a limited relationship between the two popular scales that have been used for decades. Therefore, we argue for the need for a new scale that will reflect all components of Bandura’s Triadic Reciprocal Determinism.

Understanding teachers' online professional learning: A “community of inquiry” perspective on the role of Chinese middle school teachers’ sense of self-efficacy, and online learning achievement

Teachers' online professional development (PD) has been valued as a crucial and effective way to promote teaching competencies. Forming a professional learning community has been recognized as a means to promote effective PD. Within this realm of research, the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework was deemed as a collaborative-constructivist process model that describes successful online learning experiences. The CoI has been associated with many psychological and educational variables, such as learning achievement and self-efficacy. This study leveraged on the CoI framework to assess teachers' online professional learning quality and explored its relationship with their self-efficacy and online professional learning achievement. A total of 456 teacher participants from Chinese middle schools participated in our study. A suite of questionnaires (the Community of Inquiry Questionnaire, the Teacher Efficacy Scale, and the Perceived Online Learning Achievement Scale) was distributed. Linear regression, PROCESS Macro mediation, and moderation analyses were run on the data to answer the research questions. Results revealed a significant relationship between teachers’ online learning quality and their self-efficacy and learning achievement. The mediating roles of self-efficacy and learning achievement were confirmed. The moderating role of time spent on receiving online professional learning was also recognized. Implications and future directions were discussed.

The interplay between Teachers’ Efficacy, Effectiveness, Attitudes and Students' Academic Achievement in Biology

The purpose of this study was to determine the association between teachers' efficacy, teachers’ effectiveness, attitude toward biology, and students' achievement in biology among lower secondary schools in Nyamagabe district, Rwanda. The study used an ex-post-facto research design to accomplish this. Eighty-eight respondents including 44 head teachers and 44 biology teachers were purposively selected from 46 schools as a sample. Data were collected using the Teacher Efficacy Scale (TE), Teachers Attitude towards Teaching Biology Questionnaire (TATBQ) for teachers, and Biology Teacher Effectiveness Questionnaire (BTEQ) for headteachers. Besides, the 2018 Biology National Examination 2018 results were used as a measure of student academic performance in biology. The Pearson Correlation and Multiple Regression analyses were used in the data analysis. Correlation results revealed a positive and significant relationship between the teachers’ attitudes towards teaching biology, efficacy and effectiveness, and student's academic performance in biology. Multiple regression analysis indicated that teachers’ attitudes, efficacy, and effectiveness have a positive contribution to the model. It was concluded that good biology knowledge, efficacy, and effectiveness, as well as biology teachers' positive attitudes, are key elements that, when combined, are thought to lead to greater academic success in biology in lower secondary schools. It was recommended, among other things, that school officials should monitor and supervise classroom teaching and learning at their schools regularly to ensure that teachers are performing their tasks properly. Teachers should be exposed to professional advancement programs such as seminars, workshops, and retraining to develop a more positive attitude towards the teaching of Biology and to improve their teaching strategies.

Testing the factor structure of the teacher efficacy scale for in-service teachers

In recent years, the factor structure of the teacher efficacy scale for in-service teachers has been validated and the significant impacts of the teacher efficacy on both teachers' outcomes (organizational commitment and job satisfaction) and students' outcomes (academic achievement and motivation) have been documented in different contexts of education. However, the present literature shows that there has been relatively little research on this field in the system of Vietnamese education. Therefore, the current study investigates the factor structure of the 24-item Vietnamese translation of the teachers’ sense of efficacy scale (TSES) for 397 in-service high school teachers. Factorial analysis revealed an adequate fit for the original TSES's three-factor structure, which included efficacy for instructional techniques, efficacy for classroom management and efficacy for student involvement. Cronbach's alpha coefficients showed good internal consistency for the overall scale and three subscales. The findings support the use of the TSES to measure teachers' efficacy in the context of Vietnam's educational system. Future research on teacher efficacy with subject expertise in Vietnamese schools should include teachers from primary, secondary and even tertiary universities. Keywords: Classroom management, factor structure, in-service teachers, instructional techniques, student involvement, teacher efficacy.

Collective Teacher Efficacy and Its Enabling Conditions: A Proposed Framework for Influencing Collective Efficacy in Schools

This quantitative study aims to explore the validity of Donohoo et al.’s (2020) Enabling Conditions for Collective Teacher Efficacy Scale (EC-CTES) for fostering collective efficacy in schools and evaluate its relationship to measures of collective teacher efficacy. The instruments used for this study include the EC-CTES, the Collective Efficacy Scale (CES-SF), and the Collective Teacher Beliefs Scale (CTBS). The data were evaluated through confirmatory factor analysis, correlation matrices, and multiple regression models. The findings from this study demonstrate that the EC-CTES is a valid tool. The EC-CTES subscales are positively associated with measures of collective teacher efficacy. We recommend adjustments for the EC-CTES subscales for greater congruence with collective efficacy theory and practical application. Due to the theoretical density of collective teacher efficacy, a modified conceptual framework is proposed to make the enabling conditions theory more accessible to practitioners.