Factors of Self-Efficacy of Feachers in a Cross-Cultural Context

The article presents the results of a study where we tried to clarify the status of the category self-efficacy as a phenomenon that supposedly depends on a number of factors: the country of residence of teachers, the age and experience of their professional activities, indicators of mental burnout, and also (school teachers as a separate category of teachers) do they work with children with disabilities. 481 participants from Russia, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, and the Kyrgyz Republic aged from 20 to 60+ years were recruited for this study, 96,7% of them were women. 182 participants were teachers, 110 of them were teachers of inclusive education. The following methods were used: the Professional Burnout technique, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, and statistical methods for processing the results. The results didn't show any difference in self-efficacy according to the country of residence. The age and associated work experience of teachers, working with children with disabilities also did not influence self-efficacy. Regression analysis showed a negative impact of the reduction of personal achievements on self-efficacy in all subgroups formed according to the country of residence. Based on the data obtained, it is concluded that the reduction of personal achievements has the greatest negative impact on teachers' self-efficacy; accordingly, it is assumed that work on the prevention of this component is effective when it is about forming teachers’ self-efficacy. We outline research prospects related to other possible self-efficacy factors.

Introduction

The widely accepted understanding of the phenomenon of self-efficacy is framed as the belief of specialists in their psychological capabilities to effectively perform professional functions, even in challenging working conditions characterized by problems and conflicts [16]. A broader interpretation of this concept suggests it encompasses a stable readiness of the individual to progress in life [5]. The formulations "confidence in self-efficacy" and "perceived self-efficacy" are also theoretically justified [5], as they emphasize the significant contribution of the individual's reflectiveness to the phenomenon in question.

Various correlates and predictors of self-efficacy are actively analyzed in contemporary literature. These include teachers' success in shaping their behavior, as well as information regarding the achievements of other teachers; feedback from colleagues and supervisors; support from significant others; teachers' marital status; their emotional stability; capacity for learning; and reflectiveness [5, 12, 14, 21].

Similar factors are characteristic of the self-efficacy of educators in inclusive education; however, there is a certain specificity involved. For instance, the confidence in the self-efficacy of teachers operating within inclusive settings increases when the "inclusion" of children is supported at the state level [2, 24]. A number of studies have yielded results indicating that self-efficacy serves as a phenomenon mediating the correlation between two variables, such as teachers' goal orientations and their attitudes towards teaching [22, 25].

The correlation between educators' self-efficacy and their professional burnout is a widely discussed topic in scholarly literature [5, 6, 17, 23]. This is primarily due to the high relevance of the issue concerning the prevention of professional burnout among educators, as well as related phenomena of psychological burnout [8] and emotional exhaustion [1].

There are grounds to suggest that there is a reciprocal influence between professional burnout and self-efficacy [19, 20, 23]. However, predominantly one side of this reciprocal process is discussed, namely, the impact of teachers' self-efficacy on professional burnout [15, 18].

In the course of a cross-cultural study on teachers' professional burnout in Russia and Israel [4], a statistically significant negative contribution of self-efficacy to emotional exhaustion was identified. Additionally, significantly higher levels of professional burnout were found among Russian teachers compared to their Arab counterparts. Cross-cultural studies on self-efficacy and professional burnout that include Russia are limited to the aforementioned work.

Considering that among the predictors of self-efficacy are features of the microenvironment (support from close ones) and the macroenvironment (state policies in inclusive education of which teachers are aware), it is reasonable to hypothesize that there are intercultural differences in the nature of the correlation between self-efficacy and the phenomena accompanying teachers' activities. Among these phenomena, it is pertinent to examine, in particular, the sub-syndromes of professional burnout. Hypothetically, factors that positively influence self-efficacy may include the age of teachers and their related professional experience, as teachers who remain in the profession for an extended period are often professionally successful, which contributes to a high assessment of their capabilities as specialists. It can also be hypothesized that working in inclusive settings may negatively impact teachers' self-efficacy.

Sample Description

481 participants were recruited for this study. The distribution of respondents by country of residence is presented in Table 1. 

Table 1. Distribution of subjects by country of residence

The age range of the participants was as follows: 20-30 years – 73 individuals (15.1%), 31-40 years – 104 individuals (21.6%), 41-50 years – 138 individuals (28.7%), 51-60 years – 130 individuals (27%), and over 60 years – 36 individuals (7.6%). A total of 434 participants (90.2%) had higher education degrees, while 47 participants (9.8%) possessed vocational secondary education. 

Among the specialists, 224 individuals (46.6%) had more than 20 years of teaching experience. The minimum teaching experience, specifically up to 5 years, was held by 96 specialists (20%). 

Among the participants, 309 individuals (64.2%) worked in schools, 60 individuals (12.5%) in preschool educational organizations, 48 individuals (10%) in psychological, medical, and pedagogical commissions, 35 individuals (7.3%) in centers for psychological, pedagogical, and medical-social assistance, 22 individuals (4.5%) in higher education institutions, and 7 individuals (1.5%) in additional education institutions.

Methods

To measure the level of professional burnout, we utilized the Professional Burnout methodology by C. Maslach and S. Jackson, adapted by N.E. Vodopyanova and E.S. Starchenkova (version for teachers and educators) [10], as well as the General Self-Efficacy Scale [11]. Demographic data were collected through surveys. 

The statistical methods for processing the results included one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson correlation analysis, comparative analysis for two independent samples using Student's t-test, and post-hoc comparisons utilizing Duncan's test. The mathematical processing was conducted using STATISTICA 10.0 software.

Objective and Hypothesis of the Research

Objective: To identify the factors influencing the self-efficacy of educators in a cross-cultural context.
     Hypothesis: The factors influencing the self-efficacy of educators include the country of residence, age, and length of professional experience, as well as working with children with disabilities.

Procedure of Conducting the Research

     The study was conducted online from February to April 2024 using Google Forms. In the Republic of Belarus, the respondents were participants of the Inclusive Education courses offered by the Belarusian State Pedagogical University named after M. Tank, under the guidance of Dr. of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor T.V. Lisovskaya. In the Republic of Kazakhstan, Astana, participated specialists from the Psychological-Medical-Pedagogical Commission (PMPC) #1, #2, and #4, as well as PMPCs and correctional offices in the cities of Karaganda and Petropavlovsk, along with specialists from the inclusive support schools of the Institute of Pedagogy and Psychology of the K. Zhubanov University in Bishkek, coordinated by K.M. Tilekeev.

    Respondents from the Russian Federation were educators from inclusive kindergartens #109 and #178, boarding schools #6 and #7 in the city of Yaroslavl, as well as defectologists and speech therapists from the central and regional Psychological-Medical-Pedagogical Commissions (PMPC) of the Yaroslavl region, centers for psychological, pedagogical, and medical-social assistance in the Yaroslavl region, and inclusive school #32 named after V.V. Tereshkova. During the survey, data collection was conducted with consideration of the following parameters: age and gender of the respondents, country and place of residence, level of education and workplace, teaching experience, job title, and specific features of professional activity (regular work with children; work with children with disabilities).

Results

     The most pronounced component of emotional burnout is the reduction of personal achievements. Considering the inverse nature of the scale, the scores of subjects in most groups are above average, which does not align with data previously obtained by other authors [6], who indicated that emotional burnout among educators is predominantly represented by the symptom of emotional exhaustion. Data obtained through one-way analysis of variance based on the countries of residence of the subjects indicate significant differences among the groups of respondents in terms of depersonalization, reduction of personal achievements, and professional burnout as a whole (see Table 2).

Table 2. Descriptive statistics (mean/standard error) and comparison results for four groups of respondents (RF, RK, KR and RB)

Note: F is the empirical value of the analysis of variance; h2 is the partial eta-square (effect size) for post-hoc comparisons (Duncan's test); only statistical significance levels are given.

We present the mean values of the parameters indicated in Table 2 along with the standard errors of the mean (Table 3).

Table 3. Regression analysis data with self-efficacy as a dependent variable for samples of subjects living in different countries (only significant coefficients are shown)

However, the most reliable differences are observed concerning age, teaching experience, and the fact of working with children with special educational needs (SEN). There are no significant differences in emotional exhaustion as a component of professional burnout and self-efficacy.

The data presented in the table indicate that participants working in the Republic of Belarus (RB) exhibit a lower degree of susceptibility to all subfactors of professional burnout compared to participants from other groups. This group demonstrates a lower overall indicator of professional burnout, despite the fact that the majority of them work with children with special needs. This phenomenon could be partially explained by the relatively younger age of the participants in this group. However, the Pearson linear correlation coefficient reveals a lack of significant correlation between the age of the participants and all studied parameters, both in the overall sample and within the subsets of participants residing in different countries. The results of the post-hoc analysis further suggest that the observed differences are predominantly attributable to the outcomes of participants from RB, who significantly differ in the subfactor of psychological burnout, specifically "depersonalization," when compared to participants from other countries. Moreover, there is a notable distinction in overall professional burnout between participants from RB and those from the Russian Federation (RF) and Kyrgyz Republic (KR). Participants from RF and KR exhibit a high level of reduction in personal achievements. Notably, these individuals are older and possess more extensive work experience than the other groups. Let us consider the predictors of self-efficacy, including the level of emotional burnout, the age of the subjects, their work experience, and the presence or absence of experience working with children with special educational needs (SEN). The regression analysis revealed a significant inverse correlation between self-efficacy and emotional exhaustion, as well as a reduction in personal achievements across the overall sample (see Table 4) and within the subsamples distinguished by the countries of residence of the subjects.

Table 4. Regression Analysis Data with Self-Efficacy as the Dependent Variable for the Overall Sample (Highlighted Significant Coefficients)

 Subsequently, the results of two groups of participants were compared: teachers working with children with disabilities (i.e., those teaching in inclusive settings) and teachers not working with this category of children (110 and 72 individuals, respectively).  Using the Student's t-test, no significant differences were found between the groups across all studied parameters: self-efficacy, sub-factors of professional burnout, and overall professional burnout. This finding applies both to the compared groups without differentiating the participants by their countries of residence and to the subgroups of participants residing in the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, Belarus, and Kyrgyzstan. Participants working with children with disabilities in different countries showed the most notable differences in the parameters of "reduction of personal achievements" (F=5.07, p=0.03) and "self-efficacy" (F=5.25, p=0.02). According to the results of post-hoc comparisons, the differences were attributed to the participants living in Kyrgyzstan, who exhibited a higher level of reduction in personal achievements and a high level of self-efficacy compared to other participants (see Figures 1 and 2).

Figure 1. The level of reduction in personal achievements among subjects working with children with disabilities. 

Figure 2. The level of self-efficacy among subjects working with children with disabilities.

 The participants who do not work with children with disabilities across different countries exhibit the most significant differences in the parameter of "reduction of personal achievements" (F = 3.50, p = 0.00). According to the results of post hoc comparisons, the groups differ significantly from one another in pairs. Regression analysis of the overall sample of teachers revealed a negative impact of achievement reduction on self-efficacy (t = -894, p = 0.001). A similar correlation was observed in both subgroups of teachers. Thus, the presence or absence of experience working with children with disabilities does not exert an influence on self-efficacy. However, the inverse correlation between self-efficacy and achievement reduction has been reaffirmed. The participants who do not work with children with disabilities across different countries exhibit the most significant differences in the parameter of "reduction of personal achievements" (F = 3.50, p = 0.00). According to the results of post hoc comparisons, the groups differ significantly from one another in pairs. Regression analysis of the overall sample of teachers revealed a negative impact of achievement reduction on self-efficacy (t = -894, p = 0.001). A similar correlation was observed in both subgroups of teachers.Thus, the presence or absence of experience working with children with disabilities does not exert an influence on self-efficacy. However, the inverse correlation between self-efficacy and achievement reduction has been reaffirmed. An important finding is the absence of significant differences in the severity of burnout symptoms and self-efficacy between teachers working with children who have developmental disorders and those who do not. This phenomenon has been noted in previous studies as well [7]. The lack of differences may be attributed to the attention given to the training of teachers working in inclusive settings and the effectiveness of the training programs that educators in inclusive education undergo. Groups of teachers from various countries who instruct children with special educational needs (SEN) exhibit less variation in the studied parameters compared to groups of teachers who do not work with such children. It can be suggested that this is due to a common inclusive agenda being implemented across different countries, which renders the educational environment created for children with SEN somewhat universal. In samples of teachers from various countries, both those who work with children with disabilities and those who do not, the level of self-efficacy is found to be above average. This seemingly paradoxical result can be explained in the following way. Despite a seemingly stable understanding of self-efficacy as an individual’s belief in their capabilities to solve professional tasks, the internal representation of this personal phenomenon is ambiguous, and the presence of this issue is documented in the literature [3]. The internal criteria for professional success are highly individualized. In the activities of school educators, it is likely that there exists a subjective "model" of self-efficacy that is more oriented towards the process of activity rather than the outcome. Furthermore, the perception of self-efficacy may vary for an individual across different types of activities and even in relation to different aspects of the same activity [9]. Both of these circumstances may influence how the respondents interpret the questions on the self-efficacy scale.

Conclusions

Self-efficacy should be considered not only as a predictor of professional burnout but also as a phenomenon dependent on its components. Practically, the data concerning the sub-factors of professional burnout as predictors of educators' self-efficacy are significant for consultative and training activities. The most detrimental effect on self-efficacy, as indicated by the aforementioned data, arises from reduction, or the complete or partial devaluation of one's professional achievements. Consequently, it can be inferred that efforts aimed at preventing this specific component are effective within the framework of influencing the process of self-efficacy development among educators. According to the obtained data, the age of educators and the duration of their professional activity do not have a significant impact on self-efficacy.

The cross-cultural differences of the studied phenomena, according to the research findings, are fragmented and do not permit the assertion of any stable trends.

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