The theoretical and empirical underpinnings of teacher efficacy are examined to bring coherence to the construct and its measurement. First, we explore the correlates of teacher efficacy revealed using various instruments and search for patterns that suggest a better understanding of the construct. Next, we introduce a model of teacher efficacy that reconciles two competing conceptual strands found in the literature. Then we examine implications of the research on teacher efficacy for teacher preparation and suggest strategies for improving the efficacy of inservice teachers. Finally, we propose new directions for research in light of the proposed model.
After an extensive review of the literature on trust, a multi-faceted definition of faculty trust was developed at three organizational levels: trust in principal, trust in colleagues, and trust in clients. Along with a general willingness to risk vulnerability, five faces of trust emerged: benevolence, reliability, competence, honesty, and openness. This conceptual formulation of faculty trust was then subjected to empirical test, which supported the theoretical underpinnings of the construct. Finally, three trust scales with substantial validity and reliability are offered to researchers and practitioners to analyze antecedents and consequences of faculty trust in other schools.
Reform efforts increasingly promote collaboration – admonishing principals to include both teachers and parents in democratic decision processes and encouraging teachers to work toward greater collaboration with their colleagues. The hypotheses that the level of collaboration was related to the level of trust was supported in bivariate correlational analyses. There was a significant link between collaboration with the principal and trust in the principal, collaboration with colleagues and trust in colleagues, and collaboration with parents and trust in parents. Canonical correlation reinforced the importance of trust in predicting the overall level of collaboration within a school. Among the set of trust variables, trust in clients was most influential in predicting the set of collaboration variables. Collaboration with parents was the most potent of the collaboration variables in this analysis. These finding argue for the importance of trust in nurturing collaborative relationships.
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