This study sought to determine the extent to which collective teacher efficacy (CTE) explained variance in student achievement in English, mathematics, social studies, and science over and above that explained by socioeconomic status (SES). The study...
This study sought to determine the extent to which collective teacher efficacy (CTE) explained variance in student achievement in English, mathematics, social studies, and science over and above that explained by socioeconomic status (SES). The study also investigated the relationship between collective teacher efficacy beliefs and school size and the extent to which each of the constructs of collective efficacy explained variance in achievement.
A representative sample of schools based on free and reduced-cost lunch rates (SES) participated in the study. The study included 31 Virginia schools. Data were analyzed through stepwise multiple regression analyses and Pearson's product moment correlations.
CTE was a significant predictor of grade 5 English: RLR, social studies, and science Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) mean scores and may have independently explained some of the variance in grade 5 mathematics and English: Writing SOL mean scores. Specifically, CTE independently explained 9% of the variance (p < .01) in grade 5 English: RLR SOL mean scores, 13% of the variance (p < .01) in social studies scores, and 9% of the variance (p = .03) in science scores. CTE explained 6% of the variance (p = .08) in mathematics and 7% of the variance (p = .08) in English: Writing SOL mean scores. School size was not found to be related to CTE. One construct of collective efficacy, group competence, independently explained similar amounts of variance in student achievement as total collective efficacy. One of the ancillary findings was the significant correlation (-.87, p < .01) between SES and one of the collective efficacy constructs, task analysis.
The findings of the study, as in a number of previous studies, suggest interventions which may impact CTE. Since task analysis correlated significantly with SES, this construct might be given particular attention.