Portuguese version of the Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale: validation Study

Abstract

Teacher self-efficacy is considered a significant predictor of positive outcomes both for students and teachers, such as student academic performance, teacher commitment or teacher-student relationships. One of the most widely used instruments for evaluating teacher efficacy beliefs is the Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES), already adapted and validated in several studies. The present study is aimed at to evaluate the psychometric properties of the TSES (short form) in the Portuguese educational context, using a sample of 122 secondary school teachers from both public and private schools in Portugal. The performed analysis confirmed the original scale's three-factor-correlated structure, and our findings confirm that the TSES is a reliable and valid instrument, and thus potentially useful for research within the Portuguese educational context. The study's limitations are discussed, and recommendations for future research are provided.

Keywords: Teacher self-efficacy, Scale validation, Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale, construct validity.

DOI: 10.7176/JEP/16-2-10

Publication date: February 28^th 2025