Does sense of efficacy predict classroom management skills? An analysis of the pre-school teacher’s professional competency

ABSTRACT

Professional competency of the pre-school teacher plays a quite determinant role in enhancing the quality of pre-school education. This determinant role of the professional competency of the pre-school teacher is of great importance in teacher’s planning and practice. The research aims to determine the extent to how teacher’s sense of efficacy accounts for their classroom management skills. Two hundred twenty-three pre-school teachers who work at pre-school institutions participated in the study. Embedded mixed design, where both quantitative and qualitative methods were employed, was used in this study. It has been found that the level of teacher’s sense of efficacy belief is a predictor of the classroom management skills of pre-school teachers. Quantitative analysis showed the relation between self-efficacy of pre-school teachers and their perceptions of classroom management skills in relational with the professional variables. It has also been noted that the findings of detailed interviews support the quantitative results.

KEYWORDS:

• Professional competency
• pre-school teacher
• sense of efficacy
• classroom management skills
• pre-school education

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Note on contributor

Mehmet Toran is an assistant professor in the department of early childhood education at Istanbul Kultur University. His work focuses on quality of pre-school teacher, approach in early childhood education and education for sustain development in early years.