OVERVIEW
“Collective [teacher] efficacy is the perception of teachers in a school that the efforts of the faculty as a whole will have a positive effect on student learning.”
(Goddard, et.al. 2000)
According to John Hattie (2018), when there is a high level of Collective Teacher Efficacy (CTE) in a school, teachers are more likely to
- implement innovative strategies,
- work collaboratively,
- have high expectations for improving instruction through the use of data,
- positively impact student performance,
- have confidence in their instructional abilities,
- be committed to teaching as a profession.
- be resilient, and
- value parent participation.
CTE is not a phenomenon that happens in a school. It is developed when district/building leaders create a culture that allows teachers to feel and experience personal and collective efficacy. Essential Function 1 focuses on clarifying what is meant by CTE, its impact on student learning, and four ways individuals develop efficacy.
CTE Key Terms (Bandura, 1994)
- Efficacy is a capacity for producing a desired result or effect.
- Self-Efficacy is an individual’s belief in his or her capacity to execute behaviors necessary to produce specific performance and goal attainment.
- Teacher Efficacy is one’s confidence in his/her ability to promote students’ learning.
- Collective Efficacy is a group’s shared belief in its combined capabilities to attain their goals and accomplish desired tasks.
- Collective Teacher Efficacy (CTE) is a perception of teachers in a school that the efforts of the faculty as a whole will have a positive effect on students.
- Mastery Experience is when you experience success firsthand. It requires experience in overcoming obstacles through perseverant effort.
- Vicarious Experience is observing people similar to oneself succeed.
- Social Persuasion occurs when a trusted source provides feedback and encouragement regarding one’s ability to succeed.
- Affective State is when one judges their ability to succeed based on their mood, feeling, and/or attitude.
- A Social Network is a network of individuals (e.g. friends, acquaintances, coworkers) connected by interpersonal relationships.
- Teacher Leadership refers to other roles teachers, who work directly with students, participate in that have an influence extending beyond their own classroom/caseloads.
- Teacher Voice refers to the values, opinions, beliefs, perspectives, expertise, and cultural backgrounds of the teachers working in a school/district.
- Teacher Inquiry is a formal process used by educators to explore teaching practices that identifies successful approaches to improving learning and outcomes for students.
Essential Function 1: District/Building leaders provide opportunities for teachers to experience the four sources of efficacy, and teachers have a combined belief that they have a major impact on student learning.
District/Building leaders have a system-wide plan for implementation of Collective Teacher Efficacy that includes all of the criteria below:
- Teachers successfully implement a new instructional strategy or practice learned in training (affective state).
- Teachers receive feedback and encouragement regarding the implementation of an instructional strategy or practice learned in training (social persuasion).
- Teachers have opportunities to observe others in their building implement a new instructional strategy or practice learned in training (vicarious experience).
- Data is collected as evidence that teachers have implemented a new instructional strategy or practice learned in training (mastery experience).
- Resources and support needed to make a major impact on student learning are made available to teachers.
Download the Collective Teacher Efficacy Practice Profile
Reflective Questions
- What do you already understand about Collective Teacher Efficacy and how would you rate your school/district’s current CTE?
- In what ways could CTE impact student learning?
- What resources and supports does your school/district make available to teachers to help them impact student learning?