Teacher self-efficacy and students’ ratings

Purpose: Extensive theoretical and empirical work has yielded abundant knowledge regarding teacher self-efficacy (TSE). Recent research has found significant correlations between TSE and students’ ratings, as an indicator for teaching effectiveness. The purpose of this paper is to test the relationship between TSE and students’ ratings of their school teacher (SRST) in the context of school level and teacher role. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected from 111 teachers and their 2,490 students attending junior- and senior-high schools. Teachers reported on their personal efficacy beliefs at the beginning of the school year, whereas students rated their teachers at the end of the year. Findings: Teacher role and school level moderated the relationship between STE and SRST: the relationship between TSE and SRST is higher among homeroom classes than subject matter classes, and among junior high classes as compared to senior high classes. Research limitations/implications: The research is based on small number of classes, which precluded more sophisticated analyses. Future research should consider additional personal and/or contextual variables to better understand the association between teacher and students perceptions. Originality/value: This study is a first exploration of the ways teachers perceive their ability to enhance student performance vis-à-vis their students’ views of their teaching functioning.