Teacher self-efficacy and pupil achievement: much ado about nothing? International evidence from TIMSS

Jerrim, John; Sims, Sam; Oliver, Mary

Abstract

Bandura’s influential theory has been used to argue that teachers with high self-efficacy will be more effective at increasing pupil achievement—and a voluminous empirical literature has repeatedly documented associations consistent with this claim. However, few studies have considered whether these correlations reflect an underlying causal relationship. In this paper we utilise across-subject, within-pupil variation in teacher self-efficacy in the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2015 data to provide new evidence on this question. By focusing upon relative differences in teacher self-efficacy and pupil achievement within pupil-teacher pairs, our estimates control for more potential confounders than much of the existing literature. Contrary to that literature, we find no evidence of a relationship. Instead, this paper presents clear and consistent findings of null effects.

Citation

Jerrim, J., Sims, S., & Oliver, M. (2023). Teacher self-efficacy and pupil achievement: much ado about nothing? International evidence from TIMSS. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 29(2), 220-240. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2022.2159365

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Dec 12, 2022
• Online Publication Date: Jan 31, 2023
• Publication Date: 2023
• Deposit Date: Feb 6, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 28, 2023
• Journal: Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice
• Print ISSN: 1354-0602
• Electronic ISSN: 1470-1278
• Publisher: Informa UK Limited
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 29
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 220-240
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2022.2159365
• Keywords: TIMSS; teacher self-efficacy; teachers; fixed effects
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/16802355
• Publisher URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13540602.2022.2159365