Exploring Factors related to Preschool Teachers’ Self-Efficacy

Source: This article was published in Teaching and Teacher Education, Volume 27, Issue 5,
Author(s): Ying Guo, Laura M. Justice, Brook Sawyer, Virginia Tompkins, " Exploring Factors related to Preschool Teachers’ Self-Efficacy", Pages 961–968, Copyright Elsevier (July 2011)

The current study examined how teacher characteristics (teaching experience, perceptions of teacher collaboration and teacher influence) and classroom characteristics (children’s engagement) characteristics predicted teacher self-efficacy for 48 preschool teachers in the U.S.

Results showed a significant interaction effect between teachers’ perceptions of collaboration and children’s engagement in predicting teachers’ reported self-efficacy.

Specifically, a higher level of children’s engagement was associated with a higher level of preschool teachers' self-efficacy and with high levels of staff collaboration.

Neither teachers’ teaching experience nor their decision-making influence were related to teacher self-efficacy.