Components of Teacher Self-Efficacy for Literacy Instruction for In-Service Educators in Two Southeastern School Districts

Abstract

Abstract Researchers administered a teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs for literacy instruction (TSELI) survey to in-service teachers (N = 168) in two PK–12 school districts in the southeastern U.S. A principal components analysis indicated four components for TSELI: (a) Teaching and Modeling Reading, (b) Facilitating and Nurturing Readers, (c) Influencing Literacy Success, and (d) Teaching and Facilitating Writing. The results include a component analysis as well as descriptive data by demographics (i.e., gender, grade level, subject area, educational level, and years of teaching experience). In addition, a MANOVA was performed to determine if there were differences in self-efficacy and demographic variables. Significant differences were found for gender, grade level, and subject area. Most notably, males, secondary educators, and teachers of subjects other than English Language Arts (ELA) exhibited significantly less self-efficacy in literacy instruction. The implications for PK–12 teachers, school leaders, and teacher educators are discussed.