Relationship Between Teacher Efficacy and Self-Reported Instructional Practices:An Examination of Five Asian Countries/Regions Using TIMSS 2011 Data

Teacher efficacy in a particular content area is seen as an important factor shaping teaching practice and student learning in the Western literature.However,inadequate efforts have been made to examine this assumption empirically.Drawing on the Trends of International Mathematics and Science Study(TIMSS)2011 mathematics teachers’data at the eighth grade level,this study examines the relationship between teacher efficacy in teaching mathematics and teachers’mathematical instructional practices in five Asian countries/regions.Guided with Bandura’s social cognitive theory,this study finds that overall teachers in the five countries/regions reported much lower teacher efficacy in teaching mathematics and lower levels of instructional practices than the international norms.The relationship between teacher efficacy and instructional practices varied within these countries/regions.Teacher efficacies in teaching mathematics are not always statistically and positively related to their instructional practices in engaging students.Together,these findings challenge the theoretical assumption about the positive relationship between teacher efficacy and instructional practices.Possible reasons of these findings and future directions are discussed.

Teacher Efficacy and Affective Well-Being in Hong Kong:An Examination of Their Relationships and Individual Differences

Purpose-The aim of this study is to explore the relationships between dimensions of teacher efficacy and affective well-being while focusing on the roles of demographic characteristics(gender,grade level,educational background,and seniority).Design/Approach/Methods-1,115 primary and 541 secondary school teachers in Hong Kong participated in the questionnaire survey.A series of t-tests,ANOVA,correlation analysis,and hierarchical multiple regressions were conducted.Findings-The younger teachers reported lower scores for well-being and efficacy than their senior counterparts,and the female and primary school teachers reported significantly higher levels of teacher efficacy for student engagement than their respective counterparts.Of the dimensions of affective well-being,pleasant affect was more closely related to teacher efficacy than negative affect,and the activated pleasant dimension of enthusiasm had the strongest influence.Of the three dimensions of teacher efficacy,efficacy for student engagement was most strongly associated with affective well-being.Originality/Value-The study revealed that teachers’affective well-being is not only important in itself,but also contributes to classroom teaching.The enthusiasm and passion possessed and maintained by teachers could play important roles in enhancing their self-efficacy.Furthermore,maintaining a good affective well-being status and even a modest level of anxiety contributes to their efficacy for student engagement,a dimension on which teachers reported the least confidence.Suggestions were put forward on how to improve teacher efficacy and well-being.

English as Foreign Language(EFL)Teachers’Efficacy and Positive Achievement Emotions:Relations to Instructional Changes After Attending a Study Abroad Program

Due to government policy,the number of study abroad professional de­velopment program for EFL teachers increased greatly in China during recent years.Study abroad program aims to help EFL teachers improve their knowledge and teaching practices,which requires them to make ad­justments to their traditional teaching styles accordingly.Hence,teachers may experience strong emotional reactions when they are faced with dif­ferent modes of teaching methods.From the perspective of“emotion”,this study used control-value theory of achievement emotions as the theoretical framework to examine the relationship between teacher efficacy,positive achievement emotions,and instructional changes among 386 Chinese EFL teachers who attended study abroad programs.Purposive sampling was used in data collection.Data analysis was conducted using Structural Equa­tion Model(SEM).The results showed that teacher efficacy correlated pos­itively with positive achievement emotions(enjoyment,hope,and pride)and instructional changes.Positive achievement emotions mediated the relationship between teacher efficacy and instructional changes.Findings showed the impact of teacher efficacy and positive achievement emotions on changes in teachers’thinking and instructional practices.Based on the findings and limitations of this study,implications on teacher education and professional development program,directions and suggestions for future studies are discussed.

Emerging Research Efficacy Through Scaffolded Research Practice: An EFL Preservice Teacher Autobiographical Narrative

EFL preservice teachers ’ research efficacy, as perceived competence to perform tasks in research, is crucial to their research engagement. This autobiographical narrative inquiry investigates the contribution of scaffolded research practice to a female EFL preservice teacher ’s research efficacy.The data were collected through conversations, notes, journals, and portfolios. The findings suggest that teacher research efficacy was pliable through scaffolded research practice. It emerged gradually over time, in different places with social and personal interaction. The factors contributing to the emerging research efficacy were: teacher educators ’ support, peers ’ support,and research participation. The study sheds light on teacher educators and EFL preservice teachers,with the intention of establishing an inquiry-based pedagogy for M.Ed. programs.

Efficacy Perceptions of Preservice and Inservice Teachers in China: Insights Concerning Culture and Measurement

This study comprises the second stage of a research program in which sense of efficacy for teaching(SET)was investigated in Chinese mainland preservice and inservice teachers(PSTs and ISTs,respectively).Scores on SET were calculated and described,and SET comparisons were made between and within PSTs and ISTs.Relative to PSTs,ISTs had higher SET;within both the PSTs and IST samples there were no gender differences;but among ISTs there were some associations of SET with years of teaching,teacher roles,and whether the schools were categorized as advanced or standard.Tentative comparisons are drawn concerning SET in Chinese and Western contexts,and recommendations are made concerning effective measurement of teacher sense of efficacy in China and elsewhere.

Measuring Teacher Sense of Efficacy: Insights and Recommendations Concerning Scale Design and Data Analysis from Research with Preservice and Inservice Teachers in China

In this study,issues concerning the design of scales for measuring teacher sense of efficacy(TSE)are first identified with particular attention to the Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale(TSES).Psychometric issues concerning analysis and reporting of TSE data are subsequently identified.Recommendations are offered about all identified issues,and these recommendations are taken into account when obtaining and analyzing TSE data from Chinese mainland preservice and inservice teachers.Exploratory factor analyses yielded a single factor for both samples as well as for four subgroups within the inservice teacher sample.Results also provided insights about scale design as well as the TSES being limited for capturing the breadth of TSE.Suggestions are made for improvements in the assessment of TSE.