Academic optimism: an individual teacher belief

Abstract

In this study, academic optimism as an individual teacher belief was investigated. Teachers’ self‐efficacy beliefs were measured using the short form of the Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale. One subtest from the Omnibus T‐Scale, the faculty trust in clients subtest, was used to measure teachers’ trust in students and parents. One subtest from the Organizational Climate Index was used to measure academic emphasis. Pupil Control Ideology was used to measure teachers’ beliefs about classroom management. Constructivist teaching subscale of the Teacher’s Belief Survey was used to measure teachers’ instructional beliefs and practices. Organizational Citizenship Behaviour Scale was used to measure teachers’ citizenship behaviour. Life Orientation Test was used to measure dispositional optimism. The findings indicated that teachers differed in the extent of their academic optimism. The findings also indicated that teacher’s sense of academic optimism is positively and significantly related to student‐centred teaching, citizenship behaviour and dispositional optimism. The findings further indicated that student‐centred teaching beliefs, dispositional optimism and citizenship behaviour emerged as significant predictors of individual teacher’s academic optimism. Lastly, the findings revealed that teaching phase is the only teachers’ biographical variable that is a significant predictor of academic optimism.

Keywords:

• academic optimism
• individual teacher belief
• efficacy
• students
• parents
• trust
• academic emphasis