Self-Efficacy in College Teaching

The essay describes self-efficacy (that is, an instructor’s judgment about his or her capability to promote student learning and motivation) and its application to college teaching

1 Teacher Efficacy: Its Meaning and Measure

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Collective efficacy beliefs: Theoretical developments, empirical evidence, and future directions

The authors wish to dedicate this article to the memory of their friend and colleague Dr. Paul Pintrich of the University of Michigan. This analysis synthesizes existing research to discuss how teachers’ practice and student learning are affected by perceptions of collective efficacy. Social cognitive theory is employed to explain that the choices teachers make—the ways in which they exercise personal agency—are strongly influenced by collective efficacy beliefs. Although empirically related, teacher and collective efficacy perceptions are theoretically distinct constructs, each having unique effects on educational decisions and student achievement. Our purpose is to advance awareness about perceived collective efficacy and develop a conceptual model to explain the formation and influence of perceived collective efficacy in schools. We also examine the relevance of efficacy beliefs to teachers ’ professional work and outline future research possibilities. Over a quarter century ago, Albert Bandura (1977) introduced the concept of self-efficacy perceptions or “beliefs in one’s capacity to organize and execute the courses of action required to produce given attainments ” (Bandura, 1997, p. 3). Since that time, research in many arenas has demonstrated the power of efficacy judgments in human learning, performance, and motivation. For example, efficacy beliefs are related to smoking cessation, adherence to exercise and diet programs, performance in sports, political participation, and academic achievement (Bandura, 1997). The last arena is of particular importance to educators. In the past two decades, researchers have found links between student achievement and three kinds of efficacy beliefs—the self-efficacy judgments of students (cf. Pajares, 1994, 1997), teachers ’ beliefs in their own instructional efficacy (cf. Tschannen-Moran, Woolfolk Hoy, & Hoy, 1998), and teachers ’ beliefs about the collective efficacy of their school (Goddard, Hoy, & Woolfolk Hoy, 2000). Of the three, perceived collective efficacy is the most recent construct developed and has received the least attention from educational researchers. The purpose of this inquiry is to advance awareness about collective efficacy beliefs and de