Some of the most powerful influences on the development of teacher efficacy are mastery experiences during student teaching and the induction year. Bandura's theory of self-efficacy suggests that efficacy may be most malleable early in learning, thus the first years of teaching could be critical to the long-term development of teacher efficacy.…

The authors sought to determine whether teacher and collective efficacy beliefs predict commitment to the teaching profession. The participants were 26,257 teachers and 6,711 principals who responded to the public school teacher and principal questionnaires of the 1999-2000 Schools and Staffing Survey (U.S. Department of Education, 2005). The…

This study compared undergraduate and graduate student teachers' and alternate route teachers' sense of efficacy and views of their teacher preparation programs. A one-way analysis of variance indicated that student teachers in the undergraduate program had higher teacher efficacy than the other two groups of teachers. Alternate route teachers and…

The study examined attitudes towards inclusion and sense of efficacy of 1155 Israeli preservice teachers and variables related to these beliefs. Participants responded to an "Options related to inclusion scale", and a "Teacher efficacy scale". Findings revealed strong support for the principle of inclusion, yet also support for…

The purpose of this study was to investigate teacher characteristics that may lead to special education referrals, including efficacy, burnout, experience, and preparation. We hypothesized that likelihood to refer for special education is related to these teacher characteristics. This study involved 106 elementary teachers who rated themselves on…

Background: Research on teacher self-efficacy has revealed substantive problems concerning the validity of instruments used to measure teacher self-efficacy beliefs. Although claims about the influence of teachers' self-efficacy beliefs on student achievement, success with curriculum innovation, and so on, may be true statements, one cannot make…

While consistently related to positive teacher behaviors and student outcomes, teacher efficacy as a construct is currently the subject of debate. The present study examined a new model of teacher efficacy (Tschannen-Moran, Woolfolk Hoy, & Hoy, 1998) that proposes to more clearly define important variables and integrate two theoretical…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the change in teacher efficacy beliefs about mathematics and science teaching during participation in methods courses and student teaching, as well as the relationship between mathematics and science teaching efficacy. Data revealed that as science and mathematics teacher education in a methods course…

The current study explores the relationship between perceived teacher efficacy and specific practices of family involvement exhibited by 110 elementary school teachers from a large urban school district. Bandura's construct of self-efficacy provided the theoretical framework for examining teacher efficacy. The study investigated the predictive…

This study defined teacher efficacy beliefs, discussed teacher attitudes toward inclusion, and investigated the impact of preservice experiences. It hypothesized that there would be a significant mean difference in teachers' efficacy scores and the number of preservice courses addressing inclusion and that there would be a mean difference between…

Examined the impact of teaching experience on teaching efficacy. Preservice and experienced teachers completed a modified Teacher Efficacy Scale and discussed factors affecting their sense of teaching efficacy. Results found quantitative and qualitative differences in preservice and inservice teachers' efficacy beliefs. Respondents overwhelmingly…

This study investigated the effects of early field experiences on preservice teachers' teacher efficacy (TE) beliefs, a cognitive process in which teachers construct beliefs about their capacity to help students learn. The study also explored the effects of early field experiences on preservice teachers' TE beliefs in terms of their early field…

Teachers' ratings of children's competencies may in part reflect characteristics and perspectives of teachers who assigned the ratings, which compromises their validity as a measure of child attributes. The purposes of this study were to use multilevel modeling to (a) estimate between-rater variance in teachers' ratings of children's social…

The study described in this report investigated the effects of field-based reflective practice on preservice teachers' sense of self-efficacy. Subjects in the study were 24 senior elementary majors participating in a 4-week field experience. Twelve students were assigned to the experimental school and 12 were assigned to two control schools. Each…

This investigation examined the relationship between personal efficacy ratings of preservice teachers seeking licensure in the area of emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) and performance ratings by their practicum supervisors. Forty-five teachers completing the Emotional Behavioral Disorders practicum at the University of Minnesota were asked…