Teacher Perceptions of Stress, Self-Efficacy, and High-Stakes Tests: Examining the Beliefs of Teachers in Context

• In Event: Deepening Our Understanding of the Contexts of Teaching

Abstract

The purposes of this study are to examine (1) teachers’ perceptions of high-stakes test-related (HST) disruptions in the classroom, (2) the amount of stress these disruptions cause them, and (3) how the stress teachers perceive is related to their teacher self-efficacy. Teachers (N = 529) were asked to describe their efficacy for teaching in the weeks leading up to the test and generally throughout the year. Results indicate that teachers perceive extreme levels of stress as a result of HST and this stress predicts teacher self-efficacy in the weeks leading up to HST. Results, implications, and limitations are discussed.

Authors

• Hadley J. Solomon, University of New Hampshire

• Heather Carlson Vaquez, Virginia Commonwealth University