Relationship between self-efficacy perceptions of the principal and collective teacher efficacy perceptions in four midwestern states

U.S. public education is regulated by accountability policies designed to ensure that all students, and those who are responsible for their education, are held to high academic standards. Accountability policies at the federal and state level have unintended consequences for educators, with principals and teachers experiencing increased job stress, decreased job satisfaction, and increased numbers of teachers and principals leaving the profession.

The construct of efficacy may hold a critical role in meeting the established accountability demands. Perception of self-efficacy is one’s personal belief in one’s ability to achieve a desired outcome. Similarly, perception of collective efficacy is a system-level belief, or the collective belief of a group of individuals that they can achieve a desired outcome. In general, efficacy beliefs are shaped by four primary sources: mastery experiences, verbal or social persuasion, vicarious experiences, and physiological or affective states. Beliefs of efficacy are also contextual in nature, varying across situations or settings. Within the field of education, beliefs of teacher and principal self-efficacy and collective teacher efficacy beliefs have been shown to positively impact teacher and principal behaviors as well as student achievement.

Given state-level accountability policies in early literacy and the relationship between efficacy beliefs and student achievement, this study examined principals’ beliefs about their ability to lead their schools and the relationship between their self-efficacy beliefs and the collective teacher efficacy perceptions when accounting for variables such as the principal’s gender and years of experience at the school, percent of students receiving free or reduced lunch, and student achievement in reading. Participants completed a two-part survey, including demographic information and a published survey instrument measuring perceptions of principal self-efficacy or collective teacher efficacy perceptions. Data analysis was conducted to examine how principals’ self-efficacy perceptions differed and to determine to what extent principal self-efficacy perceptions explained the variability of collective teacher efficacy perceptions of the teaching staff.

Results indicated principal self-efficacy perceptions were significantly different based on school type (rural, suburban, urban) and FRL but not by other demographic variables of the principal or the school. Principal self-efficacy perceptions were positively correlated with, but were not a significant predictor of collective teacher efficacy perceptions. Years of experience of the principal in the building was the only significant predictor of perceptions of collective teacher efficacy.