A Research On The Correlation Between Senior-High-School Teachers’ Teaching Efficacy And Locus Of Control

Teachers’ teaching efficacy refers to the belief or judgement that teachers have the ability to complete the teaching tasks and have the capability to have an impact on students’ learning.Teachers’ teaching efficacy not only affects teachers’ teaching,but also has an effect on students’ learning outcome.Based on the relevant research studies at home and abroad,the author found that the studies of teachers’ teaching efficacy mainly focus on the following aspects: the definitions of teachers’ teaching efficacy;the components and measurements of teachers’ teaching efficacy;influential factors of teachers’ teaching efficacy;the correlation between teachers’ teaching efficacy and a certain variable.However,research studies on teachers’ teaching efficacy from the perspective of locus of control almost can not be found.The present study is based on Bandura’s Self-efficacy theory and Rotter’s Locus of Control theory,aiming to investigate the overall situation of senior high school teachers’ teaching efficacy and locus of control.By this way,this thesis hopes to provide some practical suggestions for senior-high-school English teachers.The present study adopts two questionnaires as instruments.The participants are English teachers from three senior high schools of Yulin in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.Senior High School English Teachers’ Teaching Efficacy is based on Mu Liyuan’s Teachers’ Teaching Efficacy Questionnaire(2013),which is made some modification.The locus of control questionnaire is from Levenson’s IPC Inventory.The former questionnaire is composed of five dimensions: teaching plan and preparation;classroom teaching;teaching management;interpersonal relationship;teaching evaluationand reflection.The latter questionnaire includes three subscales: internality,powerful others and chance.This paper concentrates on the following questions:(1)What is the overall status of English teachers’ teaching efficacy of senior high school in Yulin?(2)What is the overall status of English teachers’ locus of control of senior high school in Yulin?(3)To what extent is there a relationship between teachers’ teaching efficacy and locus of control? And how they are related with each other? Based on the data analysis and discussion,the results can be summarized as follows:(1)Senior high school teachers’ teaching efficacy is at the medium level.Teachers show the highest teaching efficacy in teaching evaluation and reflection.However,in the dimensions of teaching plan and preparation and interpersonal relationship,teachers teaching efficacy is not satisfying.(2)There is no significant gender difference in teacher’s teaching efficacy,but there is significant correlation in different educational backgrounds and professional titles.Specifically speaking,teachers with master degree have higher teaching efficacy than those with bachelor degree;teachers with senior grade professional titles receive the highest teaching efficacy,followed by first grade and second grade professional titles respectively.(3)Most of the participants believe that their life is determined by powerful others and they are regarded as externals.(4)There is no significant educational background difference in locus of control.On the contrary,significant relationship can be found between teachers’ locus of control gender,professional title.(5)There exists correlation between teachers’ teaching efficacy and locus of control.Based on these findings,some advice is put forward for teachers to improve their teaching efficacy.As for teachers: they should establish a correct and reasonable attribution;they are supposed to improve their ability and cultivate their internal locus of control.As for schools: they should modify teachers’ evaluation system and organize teachers to take attribution training.