A Comparative Study of Elementary Teacher Efficacy in Christian Private Schools and Public Schools

The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to compare elementary teacher efficacy in Christian private schools and public schools to determine if there was a difference in overall efficacy, instructional strategies, classroom management, and student engagement. Teacher efficacy shapes instructional performance and student academic achievement, so a deeper study of public and Christian school teacher efficacy was significant to recognize factors present in each type of school that could impact instruction and achievement. This study consisted of a convenience sample of 229 teachers of kindergarten through fifth grade at Christian private and public schools in the southeastern United States. The Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) was used as the instrument in this study to measure teacher efficacy among the Christian private and public school teachers that were digitally surveyed. The survey data were collected electronically and inputted into SPSS. Data analysis was conducted by using a multivariate analysis of variance, which compared the categorical independent variable groups of teacher employment type between the four dependent variables of overall efficacy, instructional strategies, classroom management, and student engagement. The analysis revealed that there was a significant difference between Christian private and public school teachers in overall efficacy, instructional strategies, classroom management, and student engagement. This analysis allowed for discussion of the results and drawing conclusions that addressed the hypothesis. Further recommendations were made for research in different school settings and teacher demographics to deepen the literature available for making decisions that impact teaching and learning