Teachers’ Self-Efficacy: The Role of Personal Values and Motivations for Teaching

Abstract

Teachers’ personal values drive their goals and behaviors at school. Moreover, values can support subjective well-being and an individual sense of self-efficacy. Teachers’ self-efficacy, namely teachers’ beliefs in their ability to effectively handle the tasks, obligations, and challenges related to their professional activity, plays a key role in influencing important academic outcomes (e.g., students’ achievement and motivation) and well-being in the working environment. Based on Schwartz’s well-known theory of human values, this study sought to examine the relations between teachers’ values (i.e., conservation, openness to change, self-transcendence, and self-enhancement) and their self-efficacy. In particular, it aimed at analyzing the extent to which these relations are moderated by teachers’ controlled and autonomous motivations for teaching. Two hundred and twenty-seven Italian high school teachers (73.6% females; M = 44.77 years, SD = 10.56) were involved in the study and asked to complete a self-report questionnaire. Results showed that teachers’ conservation values were positively associated to sense of self-efficacy regardless of the type and level of motivation for teaching. More interestingly, the relationships between openness to change and self-efficacy on the one hand, and self-transcendence and self-efficacy on the other, varied depending on teachers’ motivations. These relations were stronger when teachers perceived less external pressure and felt to be self-determined toward teaching. Implications of these results for teachers’ practices and well-being in their work environment and further developments of the study are discussed.

What Teachers Think and Know about Education for Sustainable Development and How They Implement it in Class

“…However, the findings pertaining to the question about ESD importance in schools (Table 3) indicate that the teachers in 2019 were affected very little by social desirability-at least not to a higher degree than the 2007 sample-even if this aspect was not measured directly. For future studies, additional items to measure the effects of social desirability could be included, as well as measures to estimate teachers' self-efficacy [31].…”

Pedagogical Praxis: Muslim-Filipino Madrasah Teachers’ Conceptuality of Instructional Process

“…In practice, teachers execute different methods and strategies anchored to different instructional models to perform efficient academic tasks (Trigwell & Prosser, 2004): for instance, how to effectively and efficiently translate competencies embedded in the curriculum during actual teaching, execute classroom management, and incorporate studentcentered approach to learning among others. In general, pedagogical practices of Madrasah teachers can be best understood when based on the different factors that influence their overall practices to include the following: self-efficacy (Abdullah, 2018;Alotaibi, 2014;Amri et al, 2017;Barni et al, 2019;Faizuddin, 2016;Hussin et al, 2014;Liu et al, 2018); educational background including Islamic education (Halstead, 2004;Hasyim, 2016;Memon, 2011;Sabki & Hardaker, 2013;2015;Tengku Kasim & Abdurajak, 2018); trainings and seminars attended during their pre-service or in-service (Alwadai, 2014;Sali & Marasigan, 2020); and even peer mentoring (Solaiman, 2017). Pedagogical praxis as a form of experience-based professional learning allows the teacher to improve their professional as well as personal competencies (Sirotová, 2016).…”

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“…In practice, teachers execute different methods and strategies anchored to different instructional models to perform efficient academic tasks (Trigwell & Prosser, 2004): for instance, how to effectively and efficiently translate competencies embedded in the curriculum during actual teaching, execute classroom management, and incorporate studentcentered approach to learning among others. In general, pedagogical practices of Madrasah teachers can be best understood when based on the different factors that influence their overall practices to include the following: self-efficacy (Abdullah, 2018;Alotaibi, 2014;Amri et al, 2017;Barni et al, 2019;Faizuddin, 2016;Hussin et al, 2014;Liu et al, 2018); educational background including Islamic education (Halstead, 2004;Hasyim, 2016;Memon, 2011;Sabki & Hardaker, 2013;Tengku Kasim & Abdurajak, 2018); trainings and seminars attended during their pre-service or in-service (Alwadai, 2014;Sali & Marasigan, 2020); and even peer mentoring (Solaiman, 2017). Pedagogical praxis as a form of experience-based professional learning allows the teacher to improve their professional as well as personal competencies (Sirotová, 2016).…”

“…Also, the reflective practice allows teachers to understand the interplay of "what" (theories learned) and "how" (practice applied) in the teaching and learning process. Barni et al (2019) argued that values under certain motivational conditions are "precious resources to improve the quality of teaching experience for teachers and indirectly for their students" (p. 5). Therefore, motivated teachers seem to make teaching more meaningful, which can facilitate and create meaningful and transformational educational experiences for their learners.…”