Toward an Integrative Perspective on the Dimensionality of Teacher Self-Efficacy Data

• In Event: I Know I Can: Teacher Agency, Motivation, and Self-Efficacy

Abstract

The present paper reports on a study designed to examine the dimensionality of teacher self-efficacy data as measured by the Teacher Sense of Self-Efficacy Short-Form (TSES-SF), complete invariance over gender and teaching level, and latent mean differences in efficacy across years of experience. Based on 3735 responses to the TSES-SF, support was found for a bifactor-exploratory-structural-equation-modeling representation of the data. This indicates that teachers’ may perceive both a general sense of their efficacy, as well as efficacy for domain-specific competencies. Furthermore, results support the complete measurement invariance of scores across gender by teaching level subgroups; however, theoretically, meaningful latent mean difference were found. Finally, evidence was obtained for a curvilinear relationship of years of experience with general self-efficacy.

Authors

• Celeste Calkins, University of Nevada - Las Vegas

• Harsha Perera, University of Nevada - Las Vegas

• Peter McIlveen, University of Southern Queenlsand

• Bradley McLennan, University of Southern Queensland