Traditional and Alternative Certification Programs and Their Effect on Elementary School Teachers’ Efficacy Beliefs in Title I and Non-Title I Schools

School districts across the United States face the challenges of teacher shortages and rely heavily on alternative certification programs to fill teaching positions. Over the last decade, researchers question the quality of fast-track teacher preparation programs compared to traditional educational paths. This quantitative, causal-comparative study examined two methods of obtaining teacher certification (traditional and alternative) and their impact on novice teacher self-efficacy levels in Title I and non-Title I schools. Elementary teachers with five years or less of experience, traditionally and alternatively certified, were asked 24 questions using the Likert-type Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale on student engagement, instructional practices, and classroom management. In this study, 201 teachers responded from two school districts in Northwest Louisiana. A one-way and two-way ANOVA and MANOVA were used to measure the interactions between alternative Title I, non-Title I schools and Traditional Title I, non-Title I teachers. The findings revealed that the type of teacher preparation program (alternative and traditional) did play a role in the self-efficacy subscale composite scores. In contrast, the type of school had no impact on a teacher’s ability in the classroom. Teachers in non-Title I schools who are alternatively and traditionally certified have higher levels of teacher-student engagement. Alternatively certified teachers tend to have high scores in the subscale instruction. The standard deviation on each of the subscales and the overall teacher self-efficacy score was larger for the alternative certified group than the traditional group