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As shown in Table 4.4, two items in the teachers‘ efficacy for English showed
significant differences due to differences in age. These items were related to teachers‘ self-efficacy for understanding books written in English,
F
3,86 = 3.56,
p
= 0.02, and teachers‘ self-efficacy for instructional English,
F
3,86 = 3.31, p = 0.02.
Differences in age among the participants did not seem to contribute significantly to
teachers‘ efficacy for instructional strategies, classroom management and student engagement. In these three subscales, there were no
item showing significant differences at the significance level of
p
= 0.05.
Interesting findings were found in the efficacy for curriculum implementation. Among eight items in the subscale, four of them were statistically significant at
the level of significance of
p
= 0.05. The four items showing significant differences at p = 0.05 were those
concerning the teachers‘ efficacy for preparing lesson plans,
F
3,86 = 3.25,
p
= 0.03, the efficacy for contextualizing teaching,
F
3,86 = 2.87,
p
= 0.04, the efficacy for developing teaching materials,
F
3,86 = 3.24,
p
= 0.03, and the teachers efficacy for using authentic assessment, 3,86 = 4.33,
p
= 0.01.
4.3.1.3 The effects of English teaching background on teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs
One of the independent variables of this study was related to whether the participating teachers had a background of study in an English teaching
program before entering the profession as English teachers. This English
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teaching program was attended by the participating teachers when they did the preservice program in the university. Among the sample, 144 teachers 94.7
reported that they had English teaching program in their university, five teachers 3.3 reported having no English teaching program and the other
three 2 teachers did not report whether or not they had an English teaching program.
MANOVA revealed that there was no significant contribution of English teaching background to the level of teachers‘ efficacy beliefs. This meant that
regardless of their English teaching background, teachers in the sample were on an equal level of efficacy beliefs. However, this did not mean that there were no
differences in the mean scores of the two groups of teachers. Surprisingly, when looking at the means of the groups, those who reported having no English
teaching reported having higher level of self-efficacy beliefs than those who did have the English teaching. This was surprising, though careful consideration
would suggest that this happened due to the lack of accurate understanding about quality English teaching among those who did not have the background.
Such ignorance leads to the misjudgment of their efficacy.
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Table 4.4. Age Differences in T eachers’ Self-efficacy Beliefs
Efficacy Subscales
Efficacy for …. Ages in years
30 30-40 41-50 50
Efficacy for
English instructional English speaking
4.8 5.0
5.0 4.9
English for communication 4.3
4.6 4.5
4.6 understanding movies on TV
4.3 4.0
4.1 3.8
understanding books written in English
5.0 4.6
4.5 4.7
English songs 4.3
4.2 4.1
4.1 instructional English writing
5.3 5.0
4.6 5.5
English journalpublication writing 3.1
3.2 3.0
3.4 Efficacy
for Instructional
strategies responding to questions
5.2 5.0
4.8 5.4
ga uging students‘ comprehension
4.8 4.7
4.8 5.2
crafting good questions 4.3
4.9 4.8
5.3 adjusting lessons to the proper
levels of the students 4.8
4.8 4.8
5.3 using a variety of assessment
4.3 4.7
4.7 4.4
providing alternative explanation and examples
4.8 5.3
5.0 5.2
implementing alternative
instructional strategies 4.7
4.8 4.7
4.9 providing challenges for capable
students 4.8
4.9 4.9
4.1 Efficacy
for Classroom
Management controlling disruptive students
5.2 5.1
4.9 5.2
making the expectation clear for students
4.9 5.1
4.8 4.9
establishing routines
to keep
activities running smoothly 4.8
4.9 4.9
4.7 getting
students to
follow classroom rules
5.4 5.4
5.3 5.8
calming disruptive
or noisy
students 5.3
5.5 5.4
5.7 establishing classroom management
for groups 5.0
5.0 4.9
5.6 keeping a few troubled students
from ruining the whole class 4.8
5.0 5.2
5.1 responding to defiant students
4.5 4.8
5.1 4.7
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Table 4.4 continued Efficacy
for Student
Engagement getting through to the most difficult
students 4.3
4.8 4.8
5.3 helping students think critically
4.7 4.8
4.7 4.6
motivating students who show low interest in school work
5.0 5.0
5.0 5.3
getting students to believe that they can be successful in school work
5.2 5.1
5.0 5.3
helping students value learning 4.8
5.2 5.1
5.0 fostering students creativity
4.8 4.8
4.8 3.8
improving the understanding of students who are failing
5.2 4.8
4.9 4.5
helping families to help children do well in school
3.6 4.2
4.3 4.3
Efficacy for
Curriculum Implementation
preparing lesson plans 4.2
4.5 4.3
4.9 contextualizing teaching
4.1 4.6
4.3 4.4
implementing genre based-teaching 4.3
4.9 4.9
4.9 developing teaching materials
4.3 4.7
4.7 5.2
stimulating students inquiry 3.8
4.4 4.4
4.5 presenting model in learning
4.3 4.8
4.8 4.4
promoting interaction among learners 4.2 4.9
4.6 3.8
using authentic assessment 4.0
4.6 4.6
4.5 Significant at p = 0.05
4.3.1.4 The effects of teaching experiences on teachers’ self- efficacy beliefs
