Collective teacher efficacy: Its influence on teacher beliefs and behaviors in classroom instruction

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine the influence of collective teacher efficacy (CTE) on teacher beliefs and behaviors that result in engagement of all students and persistence with those who struggle academically. This study consisted of eight high school teachers of English, mathematics, science, and social studies who each participated in a survey, an interview and a classroom observation. Data analysis allowed the researcher to make connections between participant scores of the Collective Teacher Beliefs (CTB) Instructional Strategies subscale, responses to interview questions, and observations made during classroom visits. Teachers scores on the CTB scale ranged from 5.50 to 8.83 on a nine-point Likert scale, which translated into degrees of CTE of “to some degree” to “a great deal”. Overall results of this study indicate teachers’ beliefs and behaviors regarding communicating high expectations for student learning, persistence with students who struggle academically, and promotion of student autonomy are consistent with their scores on the CTB scale and past research on CTE. Furthermore, the results of this study show that teachers with a higher score on the CTB scale utilize strategies that promote student goal setting, initiate and maintain student engagement, and monitor the progress and performance of all students during instruction more consistently than those teachers with a lower sense of CTE.