Collective efficacy as identified by teachers at Heritage Middle School, East Central Independent School District, San Antonio, Texas

Abstract

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the collective efficacy of teachers at Heritage Middle School in the East Central Independent School District in San Antonio, Texas, and to determine the relationship between selected demographic variables and the teachers' collective efficacy. The variables included teachers' ethnicity, gender, years of teaching at Heritage Middle School in the East Central Independent School District, total years of teaching, and highest degree earned. The researcher used the collective efficacy survey short form instrument developed by Roger D. Goddard to assess the campus's collective efficacy survey. Answers to the following questions were sought in this study. The first question studied was, "What is the perceived collective efficacy as reported by teachers at Heritage Middle School, East Central Independent School District in San Antonio, Texas?" The results of the study indicated that the teachers who participated in the study all mildly agreed that they had the ability to make all the students at Heritage Middle School successful. The second question studied was, "What is the relationship between selected demographic variables and the perceptions of the teachers regarding collective efficacy at Heritage Middle School, East Central Independent School District in San Antonio, Texas?" The results indicated that there were no statistically significant differences between the variables of gender, ethnicity, length of time in the classroom, length of time in the district, and length of time in the profession and the teachers' collective efficacy. During the 10 years that the Heritage Middle School has been in operation, there have been six different principals resulting in six different approaches to the management of the school. No research was found that explains how a school's collective efficacy is affected when there are numerous administrative changes. Further research that examines the relationship between stability of leadership and collective efficacy of teachers is needed.