Teacher efficacy in the context of teaching low achieving students

This paper focused on the efficacy of Singapore teachers who teach low achieving adolescent students. Three dimensions of self-reported teacher efficacy-instructional strategies, classroom management, and student engagement-were examined in relation to teacher attributes and the teacher-student relationship. Data were obtained from the Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale Tschannen-Moran and Woolfolk Hoy (Teaching and Teacher Education 17:783-805, 2001) and the Teacher-Student Relationship Scale Ang (The Journal of Experimental Education 74:55-73, 2005). Significant differences between novice teachers and experienced teachers emerged in teacher efficacy beliefs in relation to instructional strategies, classroom management, and student engagement. Conflict in teacher-student relationship was found to predict teacher efficacy for teachers of low achieving students. Implications for teachers' professional development were discussed.