EFL Teachers’ Self-Efficacy Beliefs, Pedagogical Success and Students’ English Achievement: A Study on Public Preparatory Schools in Bahir Dar Town, Ethiopia

Abstract

The purpose of this research was threefold. Firstly, EFL teachers‘ in the study were tested about their self-efficacy belief levels internally and about their pedagogical success externally by their students. Secondly, student participants‘ perceptions of the characteristics of successful EFL teachers with respect to gender were assessed. Finally, the study attempted to examine the relationship between EFL teachers‘ self-efficacy beliefs and students‘ English achievement. The participants were 39 EFL teachers and 585 students. The teachers were selected through availability sampling and the students were chosen through systematic random sampling technique from two public preparatory schools found in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. The student participants‘ English achievement scores were taken from their respective school for the purpose of this study. For data collection three instruments were used: Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) Questionnaire, Document Analysis and Characteristics of Successful EFL Teacher Questionnaire. Data were analyzed through One-Sample t Test, Independent-Samples t Test and Pearson Correlation. Results from One-sample t Test indicated germane teacher efficacy levels, pedagogic success and students‘ academic achievement in English as the observed means for teachers‘ self-efficacy beliefs, pedagogical success and students‘ English achievement gains preponderated over the expected means. The Independent-Samples T Test results showed gender differences and similarities in rating the categories of the characteristics of successful EFL teachers. The results obtained through using Pearson Product-Moment Correlation indicated that there was a positive significant correlation between EFL teachers‘ self-efficacy beliefs and students‘ English achievement scores. It was concluded that the participant EFL teachers held high level of self-efficacy beliefs which were reflected through their pedagogical success and students‘ English achievement gains.

Keywords: Self-efficacy; Pedagogical Success; Student Achievement; Second Cycle; Public Primary School; EFL teachers