Sidsel Skaalvik

Teacher Self-Efficacy and Perceived Autonomy: Relations with Teacher Engagement, Job Satisfaction, and Emotional Exhaustion

When studied separately, research shows that both teacher self-efficacy and teacher autonomy are associated with adaptive motivational and emotional outcomes. This study tested whether teacher self-efficacy and teacher autonomy are independently associated with engagement, job satisfaction, and emotional exhaustion. 2,569 Norwegian teachers in elementary school and middle school (719 men, 1,850 women; M age=45.0 yr., SD=11.5) were administered the Norwegian Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale, the Teacher Autonomy Scale, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, the Teacher Job Satisfaction Scale, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. The analysis revealed that both teacher autonomy and self-efficacy were independent predictors of engagement, job satisfaction, and emotional exhaustion. This study suggests that autonomy or decision latitude works positively but through different processes for teachers with high and low mastery expectations.

Self-concept and self-efficacy: a test of the internal/external frame of reference model and predictions of subsequent motivation and achievement.

We examined how final grades in mathematics and verbal arts in the first year of high school (Grade 11) were predicted in a Norwegian population by sex, previous grades in middle school (Grade 10), self-concept, self-efficacy at a domain-specific level, and intrinsic motivation. Direct and indirect relations were examined by means of a series of regression analyses. Participants were 483 students from six Norwegian high schools. End of term grades in high school correlated positively with grades in middle school in both mathematics (r = .62) and verbal arts (r = .55). The relation between grades at the two points of time was to a large extent mediated through mathematics, verbal self-concept, and self-efficacy. Intrinsic motivation also correlated positively with subsequent achievement (r = .63 and .42 in mathematics and verbal arts, respectively). However, intrinsic motivation had little predictive value for subsequent grades over and above the prediction made by self-concept and self-efficacy. Thus, self-concept and self-efficacy were the strongest predictors of subsequent grades. Predictions from the Internal/External frame of reference model were supported for self-concept but not for domain-specific self-efficacy.

Frames of Reference for Self-Evaluation of Ability in Mathematics:

Measures of eight frame-specific self-evaluations of ability in mathematics were used to predict general mathematics self-concept and self-efficacy. Participants were 900 Norwegian students in Grade 6 (n = 277), Grade 9 (n = 236), Grade 11 (n = 263), and adult students attending senior high school (n = 124). Four items measured frame-specific self-evaluation of achievement based on external frames of reference whereas four items measured frame-specific self-evaluation based on internal frames of reference. Regression analyses were used to test relations between the frame-specific self-evaluations and general mathematics self-concept and self-efficacy. The analyses indicated that self-evaluation based on comparison with other students in class (an external frame of reference) and on comparison of mathematics achievement with achievement in other school subjects (an internal frame of reference) were robust predictors of both mathematics self-concept and self-efficacy. The analyses also indicated that students are using multiple frames of reference when evaluating their mathematics ability. Implications of the result for the internal-external frame of reference model are discussed.

Reading Problems in School Children and Adults: Experiences, Self-Perceptions and Strategies

Three adults, one male and two females, with moderate to severe reading problems were interviewed about their reading problems, self-perceptions, experiences in education and at the workplace, self-presentation concerns, and their coping strategies in situations involving reading requirements. The informants were selected in order to vary age, level of education, and type of occupation. Despite these variations the results revealed striking similarities in their self-perceptions, motivational and emotional responses, and strategies in school years and later in life. Self-presentation concerns were salient in all informants and all informants reported various indications of negative affect. All informants also reported using self-defensive strategies, particularly emphasizing that they were hiding their reading and writing problems. The results are discussed in terms of self-worth theory as well as goal theory. Practical implications are also discussed.

Teacher Stress and Teacher Self-Efficacy: Relations and Consequences

During the last decade the research literature has shown a growing interest in teacher stress and teacher self-efficacy and how these constructs are related. In this chapter, we review current research on relations between teacher stress and teacher self-efficacy, how these constructs are influenced by the school context, and how they relate to teacher engagement and well-being. Teacher stress and teacher self-efficacy are consistently shown to be negatively related and to predict teachers’ cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses differently. For example, teacher stress correlates negatively with teacher job satisfaction and job commitment, but positively with burnout and teacher attrition, whereas teacher self-efficacy correlates positively with teacher job satisfaction and job commitment, but negatively with burnout and teacher attrition. We propose a model of relations between stressors in the school environment, social support, teacher self-efficacy, teacher stress, and outcome variables such as work engagement and burnout. We then report an interview study which examines experiences of stress and self-efficacy among senior teachers who chose early retirement after long periods of sick leave and teachers who were still teaching and thriving at the ages of 63 and 65.