Teacher Collective Efficacy and its Influence on Student Problem Behaviour

Author(s):

Mari-Anne Sørlie(presenting / submitting)

Conference:

ECER 2013

Network:

11. Educational Improvement and Quality Assurance

Format:

Poster

Session Information

11 SES 05.5 PS, General Poster Session

General Poster Session

Time:

2013-09-11

12:30-14:00

Room:

FUAYE

Chair:

Contribution

Previous studies have shown school-level associations between perceived teacher collective efficacy and academic achievement (Goddard, Hoy, & Woolfolk Hoy, 2004: Tchannen-Moran, Woolfolk Hoy, & Hoy, 2008).The present study extends earlier research by establishing a relationship to important non-academic school outcomes.

The construct collective efficacy is rooted in social cognitive theory and derived from Bandura’s construct self-efficacy (1997). Applied to schools, collective efficacy can be defined as the teachers’ shared beliefs about their combined capability to organize and execute courses of actions required to produce student success (Goddard et al., 2004). In the present study the relationship between collective efficacy and student problem behaviour was examined in a two-wave study (Sørlie, & Torsheim, 2010). The research questions were;

1. Do schools with higher perceived teacher collective efficacy scores have lower prevalence rates of student problem behaviour observed both in classrooms and at common school arenas than do schools with lower scores on collective efficacy?

2. Does perceived teacher collective efficacy predict prevalence of problem behaviour in schools over time when significant characteristics of the school, teacher and student body are controlled for?

3. Does problem behaviour in schools over time predict change in collective efficacy, when significant characteristics of the school, teacher and student body are controlled for?

Method

Participants were 1.100 teachers in 48 Norwegian elementary schools. Questionnaires were completed with approximately 6 months lag. Perceived collective efficacy (key independent variable) was measured using teacher ratings on a 12-item scale (α T1, T2 = .95, .96) developed by Goddard (2001). The prevalence of school problem behaviour was assessed with two measures based on teacher observations (dependent variables). The measures “Problem Behaviour in the School Environment last Week” (15 items, α T1, T2 = .81, .82) and “Problem Behaviour in the Classroom last Week” (20 items, α T1, T2 = .86, .88) were used (Grey & Sime, 1989). Concurrent and prospective relationships between collective efficacy and problem behaviour were tested using multilevel regression models.

Expected Outcomes

Teacher collective efficacy appeared as a highly stable phenomenon and school-level characteristics. However, both perceived teacher collective efficacy and student problem behaviour vary greatly between schools. A strong inverse and consistent relationship across time between the two phenomena was found. The relationship was evident both for problem behaviour observed by teachers in the classroom context and on common school arenas. Positive change in school mean collective efficacy predicted reduction in later levels of teacher reported problem behaviour. Inversely, increase in teacher reported problem behaviour over time predicted reduction in collective efficacy. The predictions were robust to controlling for key school characteristics (such as school-size, portion of special education students, portion of students with ethnic minority background) and characteristics of the teachers (gender, age, educational background, years of school experience), and self-perceived teaching competence. The impact of teachers’ collective efficacy beliefs were equally strong on high-frequent and less serious problem behaviour as on low-frequent and more serious types of school problem behaviour. The results indicate that perceived collective teacher efficacy and student misconduct are reciprocally related, and this relationship might serve as an important target for prevention of behaviour problems in schools. Mechanisms of cohesion and dynamics of change are discussed.

References

Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York: W.H. Freeman. Goddard, R. D. (2001). Collective efficacy: A neglected construct in the study of schools and student achievement. Journal of Educational Psychology, 93, 467-476. Goddard, R. D., Hoy, W. K., & Woolfolk Hoy, A. (2004). Collective efficacy beliefs: Theoretical developments, empirical evidence, and future directions. Educational Researcher, 33, 3-13. Grey, J. & Sime, N. (1989). Findings from the national survey of teachers in England and Wales. In Elton (Ed.), Discipline in schools. Report of the committee of enquiry chaired by Lord Elton ( London: Her Majestry´s Stationary Office. Tschannen-Moran, M., Woolfolk Hoy, A., & Hoy, W. K. (2008). Teacher efficacy: Its meaning and measure. Review of Educational Research, 68, 202-248. Sørlie, M-A., & Torsheim, T. (2010). A multilevel analysis of the relationship between teacher collective efficacy and problem behaviour in school. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 2, 175-191.

Author Information

Mari-Anne Sørlie (presenting / submitting)

The Norwegian Center for Child Behavioral Development, Norway

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