Exploring the Consequences of Teachers’ Self-efficacy: A Case of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language

Abstract

Teacher self-efficacy, as a socio-affective concept, has been abundantly studied in relation to different factors. However, it seems that the consequences of teachers' self-efficacy have not been appropriately explored to the present date. The present study aimed at investigating the consequences of EFL teachers' teaching self-efficacy. In so doing, a qualitative research method was used. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 20 EFL teachers who were selected through purposive sampling. The interviews were content analyzed thematically. Findings showed that self-efficacy has three main consequences: pedagogical, learner-related, and psychological. Each of these consequences has several sub-categories. It can be concluded that high self-efficacy affects teachers’ teaching practices, learners’ motivation, and achievement. It also affects teachers’ burn-out status, psychological being, as well as their job satisfaction. The findings can be theoretically and pedagogically important to EFL teachers, teacher-trainers, and administrators of educational settings.