Collective Teacher Efficacy in Queensland Secondary School Staffrooms

Abstract

This thesis examines the nature and strength of the relationship between collective teacher efficacy (CTE) at the staffroom level and student academic achievement in four secondary schools in Queensland, Australia. CTE refers to the aggregate beliefs of a group of teachers in their joint capabilities to positively influence students under their care. It is founded on Bandura's social cognitive theory (1986, 1997) and models of collective efficacy developed primarily by R. Goddard between 1998 and 2004. The study is unique in that it includes analysis of CTE at the staffroom level rather than only the whole school or individual teacher levels. CTE was measured in the study by a survey instrument developed by the author - the Australian Collective Efficacy Survey (ACES). The survey is based on Goddard’s 2002 Collective Efficacy Survey (CES) developed in the United States. The principal analytical tool used in the study was one-way between-groups analysis of variance (ANOVA). This tested the strength of association between CTE, current student academic achievement and six other variables thought to be associated with CTE. Results indicated that CTE had a moderate effect on current student achievement. Differences in prior student achievement held the greatest power in explaining variance in current student achievement. There was also a strong association between student socioeconomic status (SES) and current student achievement. Variance in CTE was explained mostly by variations in teacher experience and staffroom longevity. Student SES also had a large effect on CTE. Results support the idea that a higher proportion of experienced teachers in secondary schools is more conducive for a stronger sense of CTE. However, the study did not demonstrate that this translated into improved student academic outcomes. ii Principal Components Analysis (PCA) of the ACES indicated that the instrument displayed acceptable consistency and reliability for measuring CTE. Consistent with previous measures of CTE, two underlying survey components of CTE were identified: task analysis and group competence. Results did not support the key assumption of social cognitive theory that perceived collective teaching expertise (mastery experience) influences CTE. The strong, positive association between prior academic success and CTE at the school level, indicated in previous studies, was not present at the staffroom level in this study. Further studies of CTE at a variety of levels are needed to determine whether teacher experience and staffroom longevity are embodiments of perceived teaching expertise (mastery experience).