Sharing Student Projects

This project aimed to explore how teacher self-efficacy (TSE) was impacted by teaching children from a low SES. Teachers’ beliefs about the reasons behind children’s academic successes and failures, and the potential influence of stereotypes were also considered as an additional influence on TSE. Semistructured interviews were used to explore TSE, from reflecting on their lived experiences. After obtaining ethical approval, six participants were recruited. These were primary school teachers with over three years of teaching experience, who worked in schools where there were a high proportion of children from disadvantaged backgrounds. The findings revealed pupils’ success to positively impact on TSE. Participants expressed multiple factors contributing to teachers’ ability to raise student outcomes and confidence in their teaching; pedagogical flexibility, school culture, educational constraints and job satisfaction were prominent ideas communicated by teachers. Teachers who associated predominantly positive sentiments in relation to these factors demonstrated robust TSE, whereas for those who communicated negative experiences, their TSE appeared to be compromised. For teachers educating children form a low socioeconomic status (SES), the term ‘success’, did not necessarily equate to achieving national age-related expected targets, but instead, meant enabling pupils’ progress which realised greater job satisfaction. The teachers interviewed shared the belief that every child can achieve, and for most, these positive attitudes were present within their school settings. Teachers appeared to be unaffected by the influences of stereotypes, which often discount or belittle those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Instead, teachers regarded the outcomes of children from a low SES to largely be within their control; their ability to make a difference to children’s lives provided motivation and resilience, raising their TSE. Assuming control over outcomes incentivised teachers to find resourceful ways of engaging children and providing them with experiences beyond the classroom to help their overall development. The study identified the challenges of the education system to be a significant factor impacting upon TSE, whereby teachers felt the curriculum to hold little relevance for their pupils. This appeared to have greater influence on teachers’perceptions of their TSE than the difficulties brought about by children’s low SES. Obtaining the views of multiple stakeholders invested in children’s outcomes was suggested as a future avenue for understanding the expectations placed on teachers which impact their TSE. Further recommendations include using diverse methods to obtain data, such as lesson observations in conjunction with interviews; combining interviews with survey data to reinforce findings; and considering the impact of gender on TSE, which was unaccounted for in this research, yet has been shown to be influential.

The findings generated themes (pedagogical flexibility, school culture, educational constraints and job satisfaction) many of which present aspects of teaching that can be amended and improved upon in order to raise TSE. Whilst these findings were obtained from a small number of participants (n = 6), individuals shared similar accounts which may also resonate with other teachers working within deprived areas. The findings hold relevance most notably for senior leadership teams who have the capacity to alter the practice and culture present within their schools. Teachers felt that having the support of their colleagues and a positive educational climate in which to work, was essential to children’s success and consequently boosted their own TSE. This information could be used to encourage collaboration between teachers and to create more opportunities for them to express concerns and difficulties. Such improvements would not only benefit teachers, but also the children they teach; raised TSE would have a positive impact on teaching practices, which could elevate student outcomes. The research also holds importance for educational policymakers. With participants expressing discontent with the current educational system, revision of the curriculum content could help teachers to feel more empowered by what they can accomplish within school. This in turn would be beneficial for the school climate, and take a step towards transforming wider societal beliefs about the potential of children from disadvantaged backgrounds