Using Qualitative Research Methods to Assess the Degree of Fit between Teachers’ Reported Self-efficacy Beliefs and their Practical Knowledge during Teacher Education

Abstract

There is a need for qualitative research into teachers' selfefficacy beliefs so that the relationship between these beliefs and other cognitions possessed by teachers, including their practical knowledge, can be better understood by teacher educators. Teachers' self-efficacy beliefs may need supporting if they seem too low or challenging if they seem too high. However, clear criteria are needed to facilitate assessment, together with the use of rigorous qualitative methods. This article explores these issues while reporting on research conducted in Oman into the cognitions of two in-service English language teachers. There is a focus on how qualitative case study research methodology was used to assess the degree of fit between teachers' reported self-efficacy beliefs and their practical knowledge, aiding subsequent intervention to support professional development. Implications for teacher educators and researchers are discussed. The Need for Qualitative Research In two seminal reviews of the literature conducted more than a decade ago, it was acknowledged that qualitative methods in research into teachers' self-efficacy (TSE) beliefs were "overwhelmingly neglected", this despite the need for "interviews and observational data [to] provide a thick, rich description" (Tschannen-Moran, Woolfolk Hoy & Hoy, 1998, p. 242) of teachers studied 'in-depth' (Henson, 2002). Persuasive arguments have since been made for the use of interpretive qualitative case study research methodology to provide broader and deeper understandings of TSE beliefs (Labone, 2004; Wheatley, 2005), but despite calls by these researchers there is limited evidence of uptake, as recent reviews of the literature (e.g. Klassen et al., 2011; Wyatt, 2014) reveal. Indeed, it is apparent from this recent work that only five qualitative case studies focusing on the self-efficacy beliefs of individual teachers (

Language Teachers’ Self-efficacy Beliefs: A Review of the Literature (2005-2016)

“…While Karimi et al (2016) presented their findings in the form of descriptive statistics, in contrast, qualitative studies have provided 'thick description' (Geertz, 1973) of observed teaching practice related to developing practical knowledge and LTSE beliefs in specific areas (Wyatt, 2008(Wyatt, , 2010(Wyatt, , 2013(Wyatt, , 2015a. For example, focusing on how an English teacher developed in his use of group work to help low achievers, Wyatt (2010) explored growth in his LTSE beliefs in relation to developing practical knowledge with regard to "learners and learning, the curriculum, teaching techniques, the school context and his own sense of himself as a researcher of his own practice" (p. 603).…”

“…For example, it is often overlooked that it can be deeply problematic if teachers are over-efficacious in relation to specific aspects of their work, since these teachers can then become relatively closed to learning (Wheatley, 2005;Wyatt, 2015a). In this light, it is interesting that in the studies of both Chacón (2005) and Karimi et al (2016), the most efficacious teachers were found to make the most clear-cut methodological choices: either for CLT or GTM in Chacón (2005); either for competence-or text-based approaches in Karimi et al (2016).…”

“…In this light, it is interesting that in the studies of both Chacón (2005) and Karimi et al (2016), the most efficacious teachers were found to make the most clear-cut methodological choices: either for CLT or GTM in Chacón (2005); either for competence-or text-based approaches in Karimi et al (2016). Since the resulting pedagogical practices are likely to be so different, and since some of these practices are likely to be dispreferred by teacher educators and administrators in those different national contexts, this demonstrates why it is important to understand how teachers perceive the task, not just how efficacious they feel about it (Wheatley, 2005;Wyatt, 2015a).…”

“…The deeply emotive language produced by such teachers, when discussing low LTSE beliefs, illustrates the extent to which affective/physiological arousal (Bandura, 1986) can shape teachers' experiences. While such anxiety might be more acute in pre-service contexts, it may perhaps endure in cases where teachers tend towards being over self-critical or perfectionist, as in a teacher in Wyatt (2015a), and it has been argued that perfectionism is common in our profession (Mercer, 2016). These issues could also be explored in more depth in relation to constructs highlighted in this review that have emerged from quantitative studies: 'emotional self-awareness' (Moafian & Ghanizadeh, 2009) and 'emotional stability' (Navidnia, 2009).…”

El pensamiento de los futuros maestros de inglés en Educación Primaria: creencias sobre su autoeficacia docente

“…Asimismo, resulta necesario que se realicen más investigaciones en esta línea para lograr una mayor comprensión de la autoeficacia docente y poder mejorar la formación de los maestros en nuestro país. Este trabajo puede ser el punto de partida para futuras investigaciones de carácter longitudinal para que, como apunta, Wyatt (2015), se pueda explorar más profunda y ampliamente en sus creencias de autoeficacia. También sería interesante realizar investigaciones que analizaran las relaciones existentes entre la autoeficacia lingüística y metodológica en los docentes de inglés en Educación Primaria.…”