Voices in Education: Teacher Self-Efficacy in Education

Abstract

Teacher self-efficacy is a complex topic. The concept, founded on Bandura’s (1977) social cognitive theory, captures the teachers’ beliefs in their own ability to guide students’ learning—even in difficult situations (Schunk, Pintrich, & Meece, 2008). And collective efficacy (Donohoo, 2016) refers to how a group of teachers understand their ability to effect positive results. Self -efficacy impacts instructional practices, individual and collective efforts among teachers, and persistence within the profession. Some research has found experienced teachers’ self-efficacy is higher in comparison to preservice teachers and those just entering the classroom (Putman, 2012) while others have found that practicing teachers generally have lower self-efficacy than preservice teachers (Benz, Bradley, Alderman, & Flowers, 1992). Hence, it appears teachers’ self-efficacy may vary depending on different circumstances and pressures placed on a teacher (Klassen & Chiu, 2010). Litvinov, Alverez, Long, and Walker (2018) list 10 different pressures that many teachers face, which include: lack of money for wages and supplies, lack of safe environments for teachers and their students, accountability pressures place on teachers, lack of discipline, chronic absenteeism, and supporting undocumented students. Research also questions whether a teacher’s high sense of self-efficacy determines positive benefits for teachers and their students. As well, if a teacher (preservice or inservice) has low self-efficacy, that does not necessarily mean a teacher will be unsuccessful (Siwatu & Chestnut, 2014; Wheatley, 2002). Wheatley argued that, in fact, self-efficacy doubts can actually motivate teachers to investigate and to develop new skills, which leads to a more affective learning environment for teachers and students. Wheatley (2002) believed novice teachers entering the field should be guided to be cautious of unrealistic confidence that may lead to shattering their self-efficacy, which in turn could cause them to leave the teaching field prematurely. It appears that not only developing the skill to teach matters, but also that teachers will face important issues or barriers during their career. They must be able to problem solve while remaining resilient. Teachers’ efficacy is an interest that extends across different educational issues, disciplines, and educational settings around the world. As a result, it is important to the success of educators and the schools that they work. With the various research topics that align and contribute to teachers’ self-efficacy, we invite you to respond to the following question: How can we, as teacher educators, build and support our preservice and inservice teachers’ efficacy that contributes to their success in school?