Virtual Instruction and Teacher Sense of Efficacy
Faculty Advisor Name
Sevinj Iskandarova, Ph.D (c)
Department
Department of Learning, Technology and Leadership Education
Description
A teacher’s sense of efficacy is critical to producing positive learning outcomes for our students, as it has been shown to have a strong correlation with student achievement (Hattie, 2012). Even before the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to operate virtually, the trend of virtual education was gaining in our public K-12 school system.This research is examining the influence that virtual learning has on teachers’ sense of efficacy. A quantitative study, the research question: “At the Mid-Atlantic Middle School, how does virtual instruction impact teacher sense of efficacy, as measured by the Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale?” was addressed through a survey that was distributed to teachers at the Mid-Atlantic Middle School. The survey is adapted from the Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) which quantifies teacher sense of efficacy in three key facets: instructional, motivational, and behavioral (Tschannen-Moran, 2001). Albert Bandura’s notions of Self-Efficacy form the theoretical framework of this research: namely, that self-efficacy (a teacher’s sense of efficacy in this case) is correlated to one’s abilities (Bandura, 1977). I.e., teachers with a diminished sense of efficacy would likely also have a diminished capability for success. The research found that virtual instruction has a negative impact on overall teacher sense of efficacy, most profoundly in relation to motivating students. The trend in education is leading us toward increasingly-prevalent virtual education in K-12 public schools, and this research would indicate that could cause adverse effects on our teachers. With the findings of this research, it is important to address rebuilding teacher sense of efficacy in light of virtual education.
Virtual Instruction and Teacher Sense of Efficacy
A teacher’s sense of efficacy is critical to producing positive learning outcomes for our students, as it has been shown to have a strong correlation with student achievement (Hattie, 2012). Even before the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to operate virtually, the trend of virtual education was gaining in our public K-12 school system.This research is examining the influence that virtual learning has on teachers’ sense of efficacy. A quantitative study, the research question: “At the Mid-Atlantic Middle School, how does virtual instruction impact teacher sense of efficacy, as measured by the Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale?” was addressed through a survey that was distributed to teachers at the Mid-Atlantic Middle School. The survey is adapted from the Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) which quantifies teacher sense of efficacy in three key facets: instructional, motivational, and behavioral (Tschannen-Moran, 2001). Albert Bandura’s notions of Self-Efficacy form the theoretical framework of this research: namely, that self-efficacy (a teacher’s sense of efficacy in this case) is correlated to one’s abilities (Bandura, 1977). I.e., teachers with a diminished sense of efficacy would likely also have a diminished capability for success. The research found that virtual instruction has a negative impact on overall teacher sense of efficacy, most profoundly in relation to motivating students. The trend in education is leading us toward increasingly-prevalent virtual education in K-12 public schools, and this research would indicate that could cause adverse effects on our teachers. With the findings of this research, it is important to address rebuilding teacher sense of efficacy in light of virtual education.
