Effects of teacher efficacy on student academic and social emotional achievements as reported on Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills

Students in kindergarten are not meeting state standards on standardized academic and social/emotional scores in the southeastern United States. The focus of this study was to determine if a teacher's perceptions of self-efficacy affects student success in academic and social/emotional standards as reported on the Georgia Kindergarten of Inventory Skills kindergarten (report card). The theories of Bandura and Rotter connected teacher self-efficacy with student achievement and social/emotional growth and provided an excellent theoretical foundation for understanding the relationship between teacher efficacy and student achievement. The overall investigation that directed this study was the relationship between teacher self-efficacy and students' achievement in academic state standards and social/emotional growth. A quantitative correlational, cross-sectional survey design was used. Data was collected using the Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale and student GKIDS data. A linear regression analysis was used to determine which variable might best predict student achievement. The evaluation of results was conducted upon acceptance and completion of this study. University teacher preparation programs and school systems may find this study helpful to plan future training for teachers as well as professional development courses for seasoned educators. This study may help retention of teachers who might leave the profession due to the lack of the ability to effectively manage classrooms. Finally, this study may result in social change by creating a more productive, happier learning environment for all stakeholders: the administrators, teachers and students.