An Exploration of Teacher Efficacy for the Literacy Instruction of Struggling Readers

Research supports that teachers’ sense of efficacy is related to instructional quality and student achievement. Building on research that self-efficacy for literacy instruction is a related yet distinct construct from teacher sense of efficacy more generally, and theory that purports teacher sense of efficacy is influenced by two related judgments: the requirements of an anticipated teaching task, and an assessment of personal competencies in light of perceived demands of the teaching task, this study examines further the nature of the relationship between teachers’ general sense of efficacy for teaching, their sense of efficacy for literacy instruction, as well as the relationship between these constructs and teacher sense of efficacy for literacy instruction of students with reading difficulties. The study seeks to affirm and extend current knowledge regarding factors related to teacher sense of efficacy in general, for literacy instruction and for literacy instruction of students with reading difficulties.