Teacher Efficacy: A Comparative Study of University Certified and Alternatively Certified Teachers

Abstract

Research studies show a strong link between a teacher's sense of efficacy and student achievement as well as teacher retention. With the recent push for a highly qualified teacher in every classroom through the No Child Left Behind Act, it is important to understand how teacher preparation programs can contribute to a new teacher's developing perceptions of teaching efficacy. This study examines the perceived efficacy of teachers from traditional and alternative certification programs and their perceptions of the success of the pathways they chose to teacher certification. This study revealed that certification route, specialization area, and years of teaching experience appear to modulate teacher efficacy. Furthermore, the results of this study support the hypothesis that teacher efficacy is a developmental process dependent on the type of certification program a candidate completes.