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Relationships between school climate, teachers’ self and collective efficacy across mainstream and special schools in Singapore
Author
Ong, Ming Ying
Supervisor
Chong, Wan Har
Abstract
This study explores the interrelationships between teachers‟ perception of school climate in the areas of student support, affiliation, work pressure, empowerment and school leadership, and sense of self and collective efficacy across special education and mainstream schools in Singapore. It also assesses the predictive value of teacher demographics namely age, gender, race, years of teaching experience and qualification as well as school climate variables and collective efficacy on teachers‟ sense of self efficacy.
106 teachers from four different special education schools and 202 teachers from three mainstream schools participated in this study. A self-report questionnaire consisting of sections on teachers‟ demographic information, teachers‟ sense of efficacy questions, teachers‟ perceived collective efficacy and school climate variable statements were completed by the participants in the period of September to November 2010 during a school meeting session.
The findings suggest that there is no significant difference in the level of perceived self efficacy between special education and mainstream teachers. Also, teachers in special schools appear have a lower sense of collective efficacy compared to the mainstream teachers. Thirdly, school climate variables examined - student support, affiliation, empowerment and school leadership - significantly correlate with teachers‟ sense of self efficacy, with the exception of work pressure. Furthermore, among the teacher demographic factors of age, gender, race, years of teaching experience and qualification, race emerges as a significant predictor of teacher self efficacy. Finally, while none of the school climate variables have a significant predictive value on teacher self efficacy, teachers‟ collective efficacy proves to be a strong predictor.
106 teachers from four different special education schools and 202 teachers from three mainstream schools participated in this study. A self-report questionnaire consisting of sections on teachers‟ demographic information, teachers‟ sense of efficacy questions, teachers‟ perceived collective efficacy and school climate variable statements were completed by the participants in the period of September to November 2010 during a school meeting session.
The findings suggest that there is no significant difference in the level of perceived self efficacy between special education and mainstream teachers. Also, teachers in special schools appear have a lower sense of collective efficacy compared to the mainstream teachers. Thirdly, school climate variables examined - student support, affiliation, empowerment and school leadership - significantly correlate with teachers‟ sense of self efficacy, with the exception of work pressure. Furthermore, among the teacher demographic factors of age, gender, race, years of teaching experience and qualification, race emerges as a significant predictor of teacher self efficacy. Finally, while none of the school climate variables have a significant predictive value on teacher self efficacy, teachers‟ collective efficacy proves to be a strong predictor.
Date Issued
2011
Call Number
LC210.8.S55 Ong
Date Submitted
2011