Collective Teacher Efficacy in School Culture focused on Educational Change

Abstract

The primary function of schools is to educate students, which is why educational change should be driven by that objective. Therefore, it is necessary for the entire school community to adopt a positive attitude towards educational change. Short and limited professional development does not result in improved teaching practices nor in better student achievement. This makes it necessary to empower teachers, school pedagogues and school principals to initiate significant changes by conducting educational research based on their own practices within the culture of their institution. In that sense, collective teacher efficacy emerges as a key concept and dominant factor contributing to student achievement. Collective teacher efficacy emphasises the importance of building cohesive communities of practice constantly aiming to improve their own teaching and consequently enhance student learning. This paper discusses the theoretical background of the concept of school culture focused on educational change and the role of collective teacher efficacy in such a culture. The concepts are explained further in the form of three factors significant for fostering a school culture focused on educational change – learning community (networks), collaborative teacher research and efficient change leadership.