Teacher Self-Efficacy and Individual Academic Optimism as Predictors of Teacher Professional Learning: A Structural Equation Modeling

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between teacher self-efficacy, individual academic optimism and teacher professional learning. A total of 300 teachers employed in primary and secondary schools located in the center of Karabuk province participated in this quantitative study designed as correlational research. The data of the current study were gathered through the Teacher Professional Learning Scale, Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale and Academic Optimism of Individual Teacher Scale. A Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient was calculated to detect the relationships among variables of the study, and a path analysis was performed to indicate the direct predictive power of teacher self-efficacy on individual academic optimism and teacher professional learning, the direct predictive power of individual academic optimism on teacher professional learning and also the indirect predictive power of teacher self-efficacy on teacher professional learning through individual academic optimism. Results revealed that the dependent and independent variables of the study correlated to each other positively and significantly, and that teacher self-efficacy predicted individual academic optimism and teacher professional learning positively and significantly, and also that individual academic optimism predicted teacher professional learning positively and significantly. Finally, results illustrated that individual academic optimism predicted positively and indirectly teacher professional learning through individual academic optimism. The results of the current study supported the conceptual model built on the relationship between teacher self-efficacy, individual academic optimism, and teacher professional learning, the three being crucial for teacher development.