Teacher Self-Efficacy in Giving Feedback to Students

There is no single program or new practice that can transform low-performing schools into effective schools. States and districts choose various improvement strategies in an effort to improve curriculum and classroom instruction focus (Baroody, 2011). One strategy educators can implement to increase student achievement is providing effective feedback to students. (Hattie & Yates, 2014) Self-efficacy refers to an individual\u27s belief in his or her capacity to execute behaviors necessary to produce specific performance attainments (Bandura, 1997). In examining teacher self-efficacy in using feedback to improve student achievement, this convergent mixed methods design addressed the following research questions: 1. What are teachers’ self-efficacy perceptions with respect to using feedback to improve student achievement? 2. What is the relationship of teachers\u27 self-efficacy in giving student feedback to the following demographic variables: years of teaching experience and content area of teaching? 3. How do teachers perceive their ability to give effective feedback to students? A survey was constructed for respondents to complete each section: demographics, quantitative Likert-type response items, and qualitative open-ended questions. Responses were received from participants (N=77) representing staff at an inner city public high school in New England. Quantitatively, the most significant findings included: the highest ratings were found for confidence in giving oral feedback ( M=4.41); teachers with three or less years of teaching experienced lower confidence levels for all elements of Feedback By Years of Teaching (M=3.53); inspection of the data for Clear Expectations by Years of Teaching indicated teachers with one to three years experience reported less confidence than teachers with four or more years of teaching experience on the item clear expectations to impact student achievement (M=3.80). In analyzing the qualitative data, using the long table approach (Krueger & Casey, 2009), five major themes that emerged regarding teacher self efficacy in giving feedback to students: motivation to improve, deepen understanding, accepting constructive feedback, time, and language barrier for English Language Learners and special education students. The findings of this study may benefit educational leaders in strengthening teacher self-efficacy in giving effective feedback to students as part of classroom culture in the school setting