Collective Teacher Efficacy- What it is and why it’s important

Success in schools lies in the strength of believing that through their combined efforts, school leaders and teachers can accomplish great things for the learning lives of students. Collective efficacy is the shared conviction that teams of educators make a significant contribution in raising student achievement. During this session, participants will learn about the overwhelming power that educators have to impact change when they come together to solve problems and engage in joint-work. Ideas and practical strategies that leaders can use to strengthen collective efficacy in their districts and schools will also be shared.

The session provides the foundation for understanding collective efficacy -what it is and why it’s important. Also included in this interactive session, participants will learn about applicable research, and the four sources of collective efficacy.

Participants will be able to:

• define and provide examples of collective efficacy.
• name and describe productive patterns of behavior and other positive consequences that result from a shared sense of efficacy.
• name and describe the negative consequences that are associated with a lack of efficacy.
• understand how past experiences influence a teams’ beliefs about their ability to impact student results.
• define and provide examples of the four sources that shape collective efficacy beliefs.
• describe contextual factors that influence the formation of efficacy beliefs in schools.
• assess the enabling conditions for collective efficacy in their environments.

Good Takeaways from the Workshop:

• Jenni effectively defined the success criteria, enabling us to assess our learning progress and outcomes.
• Emphasized the necessity of individualized strategies for fostering collective teacher efficacy within our unique school contexts.
• Introduced the Model for Learning Collective Efficacy, paired with the Five Enabling Conditions, as a framework for development.
• Recommended pre-workshop reading materials that provided a solid foundation for understanding collective efficacy.
• Highlighted that collective efficacy stems from shared beliefs and a unified team culture, emphasizing its attainability.
• Identified the adaptive nature of raising collective teacher efficacy, underscoring the importance of tailoring approaches to fit specific contexts and profiles of staff and students.
• Detailed the four sources of collective teacher efficacy (Mastery, Vicarious Experiences, Verbal Persuasion, Positive Emotional States) and their critical role in enhancing student achievement.
• Discussed the significant impact of collective teacher efficacy on student success and the mechanisms through which it operates.
• Stressed the implications for practical application in educational settings, urging a focus on actionable strategies.
• Underlined the pivotal role of middle managers in nurturing sources of teacher efficacy, suggesting a need for more structured support within Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) to ensure all four sources are effectively utilized.