3-033 - Teachers’ Self-Efficacy and Dealings with Diversity in the Classroom

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

Many teachers have to deal with diversity in students’ needs, behaviors, and ethnic backgrounds, which makes a strong appeal to their self-efficacy or sense of control. Although studies on teacher self-efficacy are numerous (Klassen, Tze, Betts, & Gordon, 2011), previous research is limited in two respects. First, self-efficacy is typically examined as a general teacher characteristic whereas teachers are likely to experience different levels of self-efficacy in relation to different students. Knowledge about this differential (student-specific) self-efficacy is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of teachers’ interactions with their students. Second, the literature on teacher self-efficacy has almost exclusively focused on teachers’ dealings with disruptive behavior, lack of motivation, or learning difficulties, and very little is known about their perceived capacity to handle ethnic diversity. Interacting with students from different ethnic backgrounds may bring its own set of challenges including dealing with differences in cultural expectations and language deficiencies.
This symposium will include four papers on teachers’ self-efficacy in relation to behavioral or ethnic student diversity in different school stages. Paper 1 describes a study into the developmental links between teachers’ perceived control and daily emotions in relation to individual preschoolers with disruptive behavior. Paper 2 explores teachers’ differential self-efficacy in relation to upper-elementary students with various levels of problem and prosocial behavior. Paper 3 involves a study into preschool teachers’ multicultural beliefs and self-efficacy in working with immigrant children. Finally, Paper 4 addresses and explains teachers’ differential self-efficacy in relation to upper-elementary students of various ethnic backgrounds.

Sub Unit

• Education, Schooling

Chairs

• Helma M.Y. Koomen, University of Amsterdam

• Jochem Thijs, Utrecht University

Individual Presentations

• Transactional Links between Teacher Emotions and Teacher Perceived Control in Interactions with Disruptive Preschool Boys - Presenting Author: Jantine Liedewij Spilt, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven; Sanne Van Craeyevelt, Catholic University of Leuven; Caroline Vancraeyveldt, post-doctoral fellow; Karine Verschueren, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven; Hilde Colpin, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

• Teachers’ Self-Efficacy in Relation to Individual Students: Exploring Differences via Problematic and Prosocial Student Behaviors - Presenting Author: Marjolein Zee, Universiteit Van Amsterdam; Helma M.Y. Koomen, University of Amsterdam; Francine Jellesma, University of Amsterdam; Peter de Jong, University of Amsterdam

• Multicultural Beliefs of Preschool Teachers in Relation to Self-Efficacy and Educational Approaches in Multicultural Daycare - Presenting Author: Axinja Hachfeld, FU Berlin; Yvonne Anders, Universität Bamberg; Mathias Tuffentsammer, Otto-Friedrich-Universität Bamberg

• Effective Teaching in Ethnically Diverse Classrooms: Explaining Differences in Teachers’ Differential Self-Efficacy - Presenting Author: Jolien Geerlings, Utrecht University; Jochem Thijs, Utrecht University; Maykel Verkuyten, Utrecht University