Teacher self-efficacy: a classroom-organization conceptualization

Abstract

In current conceptualizations teacher sense of self-efficacy relates mainly to teaching tasks, in particular within the classroom context. This article offers a new conceptualization of teacher self-efficacy based on a broader work spectrum, comprising classroom and school-organizational contexts, with empirical evidence to support its validity. Participants were 555 teachers who served as respondents, filling out a self-report questionnaire. In a factor analysis of the scores, a two-factor structure emerged which consisted of teacher self-efficacy in the classroom and in the school-organizational domain. Each factor possessed professional tasks and inter-relation elements. The study suggests a new definition of teacher self-efficacy.