Sources of self-efficacy of Vietnamese EFL teachers: A qualitative study

This article reports on a qualitative study investigating Vietnamese EFL teachers' perceptions of sources of self-efficacy information. Findings suggested that four sources of efficacy information appeared to influence teachers' sense of self-efficacy. Contrary to widespread belief, mastery experiences were not the most influential source of efficacy information. Rather, social persuasion was. Study teachers reported various vicarious experiences and physiological/affective states as supplementary self-efficacy sources, including cognitive mastery experiences, which were deemed more powerful than enactive mastery experiences. The study highlights a range of Vietnamese cultural and contextual factors that influenced the way the teachers selected, weighed and interpreted efficacy information.     

Sources of self-efficacy in mathematics: A validation study

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate items with which to assess A. Bandura’s (1997) theorized sources of self-efficacy among middle school mathematics students. Results from Phase 1 (N = 1111) were used to develop and refine items for subsequent use. In Phase 2 of the study (N = 824), a 39-item, four-factor exploratory model fit best. Items were revised to strengthen psychometric properties. In Phase 3 (N = 803), a 24-item, four-factor confirmatory factor model fit best. This final model was invariant across gender and ethnicity. Subscales correlated with self-efficacy, self-concept, mastery goals, and optimism. Results suggest that the sources scale is psychometrically sound and could be adapted for use in other domains.     

Unravelling the interplay of sources of self-efficacy in negotiating in role-play simulations of political decision-making: A longitudinal in-depth case study

This study contributes to current self-efficacy research in two ways. First, it responds to the need for more context- and competency-specific self-efficacy research by expanding the research field to the context of role-play simulations and focusing on the outcome of self-efficacy in negotiating. Second, aiming to investigate sources of self-efficacy and their interplay, the study addresses the need for more in-depth qualitative research by conducting a single holistic case study with a longitudinal design. Moreover, the study focuses on outcomes of an increase or decrease in self-efficacy over time. Data were collected during a four-day European Union simulation. Three data sources – diaries, interviews, and semi-structured observations and field notes – contributed to data convergence, ensuring that more than a single source of evidence supported findings. Four students were selected using maximum variation sampling. The final sample of 27 meaningful events – about the development of self-efficacy in negotiating – were selected by within-case sampling based on a set of inclusion criteria. Data were analyzed by means of content analysis. Three groups of sources of self-efficacy could be defined: personal sources, social sources, and contextual sources, which encompassed and enriched the four previously hypothesized sources of self-efficacy. With regard to the interplay of sources, five main pathways could be defined. Personal sources were present in all pathways. The contribution of social sources to an increase in self-efficacy was more obvious than its role in a decrease in self-efficacy. The contribution of the contextual source to the development of self-efficacy in negotiating was generally less prominent.     

Trajectories of change in reading self-efficacy: A longitudinal analysis of self-efficacy and its sources

The beliefs children hold about their capabilities as readers are known to influence their reading achievement. The aim of this study was to extend previous work by examining trajectories of change in reading self-efficacy among primary school students (N = 1327) and the relations between the trajectories of self-efficacy and their hypothesized sources over 11 months. Using growth mixture modeling, we identified four trajectories of change in reading self-efficacy, involving increasing, stable, and declining trends. These trajectories of change in reading self-efficacy were associated with students’ varying experiences with the four sources of self-efficacy over time. Higher levels of mastery, verbal persuasion, and vicarious experiences and lower levels of physiological arousal were related to positive developmental trajectories of self-efficacy. Students with declining experiences of social sources of self-efficacy (i.e., verbal persuasions and vicarious experiences) had decreasing self-efficacy trajectories. These findings point to the importance of considering the variability in changes in reading self-efficacy and the interplay between changes in self-efficacy and sources of self-efficacy during primary school years, as well as the importance of monitoring these changes over time.     

Sources of math and science self-efficacy in rural Appalachia: A convergent mixed methods study

Rural living, particularly in economically distressed areas, may reduce students’ educational opportunities and alter their self-beliefs. According to social cognitive theory, the contexts in which people live influence how they feel about their capabilities. The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences that raise and lower the math and science self-efficacy of students living in a rural, high-poverty area in Central Appalachia. A convergent mixed methods design was used to examine quantitative and qualitative survey data from 673 students in Grades 6–12 who took part in a multi-year study on academic motivation (Year 1 = 511; Year 2 = 391; Year 3 = 418). In the quantitative phase, structural equation models showed that Year 1 mastery experience raised and physiological states lowered students’ math and science self-efficacy in Year 2. Deductive coding of students’ responses to 4 open-ended questions in Year 3 indicated that other sources were also salient and differed by domain, their effect on self-efficacy, and student gender. Integrative analyses showed that students consider information from multiple sources when judging their capabilities. This research extends findings related to the sources of self-efficacy to the understudied population of rural learners, the less-studied context of science, and to the factors that not only increase but decrease perceived efficacy.     

Teacher self-efficacy and teacher burnout: A study of relations

The purpose of this study was partly to test the factor structure of a recently developed Norwegian scale for measuring teacher self-efficacy and partly to explore relations between teachers' perception of the school context, teacher self-efficacy, collective teacher efficacy, teacher burnout, teacher job satisfaction, and teachers' beliefs that factors external to teaching puts limitations to what they can accomplish. Participants were 2249 Norwegian teachers in elementary school and middle school. The data were analyzed by means of structural equation modelling using the AMOS 7 program. Teacher self-efficacy, collective efficacy and two dimensions of burnout were differently related both to school context variables and to teacher job satisfaction.     

The contribution of assessment experiences to student teachers' self-efficacy in competence-based education

Earlier research argues that educational programmes based on social cognitive theory are successful in improving students' self-efficacy. Focussing on some formative assessment characteristics, this qualitative research intends to study in-depth how student teachers' assessment experiences contribute to their self-efficacy. We interviewed 15 s year student teachers enrolled in a competence based teacher educational programme. Thematic content analysis results reveal that the assessment characteristics ‘authenticity’ and ‘feedback’ exert a positive influence on student teachers self-efficacy during all phases of the portfolio competence assessment. The results provide a fine-grained view of several types of self-efficacy information connected with these assessment phases.     

Improving teaching self-efficacy for teachers in inclusive classrooms in Hong Kong

This study investigated changes in teacher self-efficacy for inclusive practice using a mixed method research design. Participants were 417 in-service teachers in Hong Kong taking a 1-week basic teacher-training course about inclusive education. Data were collected pre and post participation in the course using the Teacher Efficacy for Inclusive Practices Scale (TEIP). A series of five in-depth focus-group interviews provided greater clarification of the perceptions and efficacy issues of teachers. The best predictors to participants’ teaching self-efficacy were confidence in teaching students with special education needs (SEN) and knowledge of legislation and policies for inclusive practice. From the focus-groups, results demonstrated a more positive attitude change towards students with SEN with a number of essential factors emerging as highly beneficial for inclusive teaching in Hong Kong (i.e. caring and love, school environment and curriculum adaption). The discussion considers the role of short training programmes as an appropriate means to improving self-efficacy for teaching within inclusive classrooms in Hong Kong.     

The effects of laboratory-based and field-based practicum experience on pre-service teachers' self-efficacy

A well defined line of research has been conducted on the role of self-efficacy (Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological Review, 84, 191–215.) in teaching and learning environments. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of Laboratory-Based (LB) and Field-Based (FB) practicum experience on pre-service teachers' efficacy levels within one Physical Education Teacher Education program. The participants were 59 undergraduate students who were placed into two groups, LB design (n = 31) and FB design (n = 28). A quasi-experimental design with two levels of treatment and no control group was implemented. Both groups were administered a version of the Teacher Efficacy Scale (TES) adapted for physical education teachers at four stages of their preservice program: (1) at or near entry; (2) at the start of their methods course sequence; (3) at the end of the methods course sequence, just prior to student teaching; and (4) at program completion. Results from a Repeated Measures ANOVA indicated significant differences between groups on one facet of teacher efficacy at Stages 2 and 3. Those differences are attributed to the differing levels of authentic teaching practice between groups, and the challenges posed to each group of preservice teachers prior to student teaching. By the end of student teaching, both groups' efficacy levels were essentially equal, perhaps due to the similarly high level of authenticity across all subjects in that key experience. This study also highlights the importance of on-going, appropriate and authentic challenges in eventually establishing strong and stable efficacy levels among preservice teachers     

Developing undergraduate research skills in a faculty of education: motivation through collaboration

This paper explores motivational factors underpinning undergraduates’ learning of research skills through individual research projects with collaborative tutorials. Research has long pointed to group support, positive affect and scaffolding as important for motivating and facilitating learning. Furthermore, UK government priorities have placed an increasing emphasis on the need to develop the key skills of inquiry and working with others. However, this is set in a context of assessment and practice in higher education that encourages individualist and instrumental perspectives on gaining competencies and knowledge. Traditionally undergraduate research skills have been taught through lectures and small‐scale projects chosen by the students with individual tutorial support in a faculty of education. Here our action research introduced collaborative tutorials as another element of teaching. We examine the process of collaboration to explore factors that support motivation to learn through two principal theoretical frameworks.     

Teacher self-efficacy and enthusiasm: Relations to changes in student-perceived teaching quality at the beginning of secondary education

Teaching quality is a key factor in student academic success, but few studies have investigated how teaching quality changes at the beginning of secondary education and how such changes are predicted by dimensions of teacher motivation. This study investigated the changes in class-level student perceptions of teaching quality over one school year at the beginning of secondary school and examined how teachers' self-efficacy and enthusiasm predicted such changes. Data from 1996 students (53.8% male; mean age: 11.09 years, SD = 0.55) and their homeroom teachers (N = 105), who were surveyed at the beginning of Grades 5 and 6, were analyzed. Results showed a significant decline in class-level student-perceived emotional support, classroom management, and instructional clarity. Teacher-reported self-efficacy was not significantly related to changes in teaching quality. Teacher-reported enthusiasm buffered the decline in students’ class-level classroom management.     

A typological approach to investigate the teaching career decision: Motivations and beliefs about teaching of prospective teacher candidates

This study utilized cluster analysis to identify typologies of prospective teachers enrolled in a teacher education program in the U.S. based upon their self-report motivations for teaching. A three-cluster solution generated three distinctive typologies of prospective teachers (N’s of 93, 70 and 52), and further differences among typologies were investigated with respect to participants’ beliefs about teaching.Follow-up semi-structured interviews confirmed meaningful differences found between the clusters with regard to unique combination of motivations and beliefs about teaching relevant to each typology. Implications for teacher education and teacher development are further discussed in relationship with study findings.     

The role of service-learning in transforming teacher candidates' teaching of reading

Most reading methods courses taught in the United States do little to change student teachers' actual classroom instruction because new pedagogies are not practiced in a structured, supportive, closely supervised manner. This lack of practice results in failure to develop strong feelings of self-efficacy during university courses. Because literacy courses fail to help preservice teachers think differently about literacy development, beginning teachers continue to perpetuate decades old methods of teaching young children how to read and write. These ‘business as usual’ pedagogies are especially dangerous for at risk learners.This study compared two literacy courses for elementary teacher candidates taught by the same professor at the same university with variables held constant with one exception. Course One incorporated a service-learning component as an integral part of the instructional process. During Course Two, the teacher candidates taught sample lessons to their classmates. It was hypothesized that teacher candidates who practiced new pedagogies with children at a designated low performing, highly diverse elementary school (Course One—Service-learning) during a highly structured service-learning experience would develop more self-efficacy and, therefore, demonstrate greater implementation of the course content than those who role played their practice (Course Two—Practice with Peers).Results document that incorporating service-learning into a well developed literacy course dramatically increased the self-efficacy of the participants by the conclusion of the course. This, in turn, led to increased implementation of course content during the remainder of their student teaching experience.     

The conceptualization and exploration of socially just teaching: A qualitative study on higher education English professors

This study explored the conceptualization of socially just teaching in higher education. Participants were English language professors who were studied through a qualitative study. The data collected through interviews and memos were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Three themes were extracted: a critical stance, a dialogic and emergent curriculum, and ontological turns. The findings indicated that socially just teaching requires foregrounding the questions of being. Furthermore, the findings revealed that socially just teaching necessitates critiquing othering based on essentialist stereotypes through the contextualized teaching which revolves around cultural recognition, political representation, and contextual sensitivity.     

University teacher competencies in a virtual teaching/learning environment: Analysis of a teacher training experience

This paper attempts to shed light on the competencies a university teacher must have in order to teach in virtual learning environments. A teacher training experience was designed by taking into account the methodological criteria established in line with previous theoretical principles. The main objective of our analysis was to identify the achievements and difficulties in a specific formative experience in order to assess the suitability of this conceptual-methodological framework for the design of training proposals aiming to develop teachers’ competencies for virtual environments in higher education.     

Weekly self-efficacy and work stress during the teaching practicum: A mixed methods study

The purpose of this longitudinal mixed methods study was to examine the development of self-efficacy and work stress of pre-service teachers during a teaching practicum. Participants were 150 pre-service teachers who completed eight weekly electronic surveys during their two-month final practicum in a Canadian teacher education program. The study investigates the patterns of self-efficacy and work stress during a critical period in the formation of new teachers. Latent growth curve analysis revealed a pattern of significantly increasing self-efficacy and significantly decreasing stress, although the trajectories were independent of each other. Qualitative analysis of multiple collective cases highlighted the variability of self-efficacy and stress patterns within the practicum experience, and underscored the critical influence of relationships with mentor teachers on self-efficacy and stress.     

Social models in the cognitive appraisal of self-efficacy information

The purpose of this investigation was to test (a) whether students distinguished between self-efficacy sources according to social model and (b) how predictive the self-efficacy information students received from each social model was for their self-efficacy beliefs. For this purpose, new vicarious experience and social persuasion scales were developed that independently assess the respective source of self-efficacy information conveyed by three social models, family members, teachers, and peers. As revealed by exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and multitrait-multimethod analysis, the Korean high school students in Studies 1 (N = 395) and 3 (N = 393) and the Korean college students in Study 2 (N = 220) clearly distinguished between the self-efficacy sources and the social models who delivered this information (family members, teachers, or peers). Student responses to vicarious experience fluctuated more by social model than did their responses to social persuasion. The correlations further suggest the possibility that the existing scale largely taps vicarious experience from teachers and peers rather than vicarious experience from family members. The predictive utility of vicarious experience and social persuasion for self-efficacy also varied according to the social model involved and by the academic domain. Social persuasion by teachers predicted student self-efficacy in mathematics, while vicarious experience from teachers predicted student self-efficacy in English as a foreign language, in addition to mastery experience and physiological state.     

Fostering self-efficacy and self-regulation in higher education: a matter of autonomy support or academic motivation?

ABSTRACT

By implementing student-centred learning environments, higher education institutions aim to foster student self-efficacy and self-regulation. Previous research that focuses on how students perceive these learning environments usually does not take the differential impact of students’ study motivation into account. However, the type of motivation might influence how students perceive their learning environment. To this end, this study investigates the relationship between students’ perceived autonomy support in student-centred learning environments and self-regulation and self-efficacy by taking study motivation into account. The results indicate that autonomy-supportive teacher behaviour enhances self-efficacy for students who are autonomously motivated. Amotivated students might need other than autonomy-supportive teacher behaviour to develop self-efficacy. Self-regulation seems to play a less distinct role. Overall, when examining the effects of autonomy-supportive teaching in higher education, the quality and quantity of students’ motivation has a role to play, an aspect which is important to consider in future research and practice.     

General,collective, and domain-specific teacher self-efficacy among Chinese prospective and in-service teachers in Hong Kong

This study assessed two global (general and collective) and seven domain-specific sets of teacher self-efficacy beliefs among 273 Chinese prospective and in-service teachers in Hong Kong. While teachers generally reported having the highest confidence in teaching highly able learners and the least confidence in classroom management, there were significant teacher group differences. Among four groups of teachers, the experienced teachers reported the highest level of global and domain-specific teacher self-efficacy, suggesting that there could be a trend of rising teacher self-efficacy as a teacher went through preparation and teaching practice to becoming a novice and then a more experienced teacher.