A Study on Primary School English Teachers’ Self-Efficacy Beliefs

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to investigate whether or not primary school English language teachers’ self–efficacy beliefs changed according to the variables of (a) the department graduated, (b) taking a course about teaching English to children, (c) taking an in-service training, and (d) experience. The descriptive study was conducted with 266 English language teachers working for the public primary schools in the villages and the city center of Mersin in Turkey in 2004. Two data collection instruments used were a questionnaire consisting of 15 items which sought demographic and educational information about the teachers and a 34- item Likert-type scale titled Teachers’ Perception of Professional Competence. The findings revealed that primary school English language teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs changed according to the department graduated, and taking a course about teaching English to children. The teachers who had taken a course about teaching English to children perceived themselves more efficacious than the teachers who had not. Furthermore, the teachers who graduates of English Language Teaching, and English/American Language and Literature, and Linguistics departments perceived themselves more efficacious than the teachers who were graduated from the departments other than English teaching. On the other hand, the study indicated that the teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs did not change according to taking an in-service training. Finally, the outcome of the research implied the interplay between training regarding specific content area and efficacy. According to the overall findings of this research, it is concluded that English teachers’ perception of their teaching competencies has very much to do with their educational background. For this reason, especially primary school English teachers should be equipped with specific teaching methods, techniques and materials for teaching English to young children.