Can Teachers Judge Their Students’ Self-Efficacy in Reading?

• In Event: Self-Efficacy, Self-Concept, and Their Relations to Academic Achievement in Minority and Migrant Groups: An International Perspective

Abstract

Objectives
The aim of this study was to find out whether teachers in German schools are able to judge accurately their students’ self-efficacy in reading. One particular interest was whether the judgment accuracy is moderated by students’ family background, i.e. whether they came from migrant families or not.

Theoretical Framework
Much empirical evidence exists proving self-efficacy is a powerful predictor of individuals’ academic achievement (Schunk & Pajares, 2009). One central goal of schooling is thus to enhance students’ self-efficacy in different domains. However, teachers in school should be able to detect each individual student’s level of self-efficacy to enhance it. Unfortunately, previous research on non-cognitive student variables suggests, that teachers’ judgment accuracy seems to be low (e.g., Spinath, 2005). Additional research (e.g. Glock, & Krolak-Schwerdt, 2013) provides evidence that stereotypes, according to students’ family background, moderate teachers’ judgments. Bearing in mind this research we investigated whether teachers are able to judge their students’ self-efficacy. Furthermore we analyzed how teachers’ judgments were affected by students’ migration background (Turkish vs. Eastern Europe vs. no migration background).
 
Method
We collected student and teacher data from a total of 71 German secondary schools. The student sample consisted of 1,589 7th graders (47.9% female) with a high proportion of non-German students (28.7% Turkish, 15.3% Eastern Europe, and 21.4% from other countries). Of the whole sample, 969 students were judged by their teachers according to their self-efficacy in reading.
Measures. Students worked on a standardized reading test (Cronbach’s alpha = .80) and 6 items measured their self-efficacy in reading (example item: “Even if texts are quite difficult I am sure that I can understand their content”. 4 -point response format; Cronbach’s alpha = .88). The six items were slightly modified so that teachers could assess their students’ self-efficacy (example item: “Even if texts are quite difficult the student is sure that she/he can understand their content”. 4-point response format; Cronbach’s alpha = .94).

Results
Teachers, in general, underestimated their students’ self-efficacy. This effect was particularly strong in the group of East European students. In this group, the correlation between students’ self efficacy and teacher ratings was close to zero (r = .067, n.s.), while it was significantly positive in all other groups (r = .22, p < .05). Note, however, that Turkish students expressed high levels of self-efficacy that were not congruent to their reading achievement.
 
Significance
This study is one of the few to analyze relations between achievement, students’ self-efficacy, and teachers’ ratings of their students’ self-efficacy. The findings highlight at least three challenges for future research and educational interventions: (1) The fact that teachers particularly underestimate the self-efficacy of their East European students; (2) the low correlation between students’ self-efficacy and their teachers’ ratings; and (3) the discrepancy between Turkish students’ self-efficacy and their real achievement levels.

Authors

• Christian Schoeber, IPN - Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education

• Olaf Koeller, Leibniz Institute for Science and Math Education