Assessment and correlates of teaching self-efficacy in a preschool and kindergarten teacher population

Mirjam Quinn, Purdue University

Abstract

Since teaching self-efficacy first came to the forefront of social cognition research in the 1970s, considerable amounts of research have been devoted to this topic. Research shows a relationship between increased teaching self-efficacy in teachers and a number of positive outcomes for students (e.g. Anderson, Greene, & Loewen, 1988; Midgley, Feldlaufer, & Eccles, 1989; Moore & Esselman, 1992; Ross, 1992) and teachers (Allinder, 1994; Coladarci, 1992; Greenwood, Olejnik, & Parkay, 1990). It is therefore surprising that despite the surge of research on the positive correlates of teaching self-efficacy, many other aspects pertaining to teaching self-efficacy remain under-explored. Even more troubling are the well-documented problems with the appropriate measurement of the construct of teaching self-efficacy. There exist a great number of instruments designed to assess teaching self-efficacy, yet adequate psychometric data are available for very few of them. Of the measures for which such data have been determined, many do not produce strong psychometrics. The first aim of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of the Teaching Self-Efficacy Scale (TSS; Bandura, undated), an unpublished instrument with good face validity that was developed by one of the eminent self-efficacy researchers in response to criticisms of earlier measures. High Cronbach's alphas indicated that the TSS (Bandura, unpublished, undated) has excellent reliability. In addition, the TSS (Bandura, undated) demonstrated good construct validity as three conceptually related items, as well as a commonly used measure of teaching self-efficacy (Teaching Efficacy Scale, Hoy & Woolfolk, 1993) showed the expected correlations with the TSS (Bandura, undated). Maximum likelihood factor analysis of the instrument revealed a conceptually sound factor structure close to that proposed by Bandura (undated). A second goal of this study was to conduct a preliminary examination of the relationship between teaching self-efficacy and teachers' cognitions about themselves and their students. Educators' teaching self-efficacy was significantly related to their fearful cognitions about the future, their current behavior, and their perceptions of students' social competence. Possible reasons for, and implications of, these findings are discussed.

Degree

Ph.D.

Advisors

Merritt, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Preschool education|Educational psychology|Psychotherapy

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