Teacher self-efficacy and personal strengths and virtues in teachers from Dominican Republic

Abstract

The aim of this research it to analyze the relationship between perceived teacher efficacy and personal strengths and virtues. For it, 564 teachers from Dominican Republic took part in the study, 29.6% males and 70.4% females, mean age of 39.72 years (SD = 8.09), and an average teaching experience of 15.67 years (SD = 3.83). Teachers developed their professional activity in 18 provinces of the 32 that integrate Dominican Republic. Three instruments were used for data collection: the Teacher Efficacy Scale (Teacher Efficacy Scale-Short Form), the Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale (Teacher’s Sense of Efficacy Scale-Short Form), and the Personal Strengths Questionnaire VIA (Values in Action Inventory of Strengths: VIA-IS). The psychometric characteristics of the instruments (reliability and validity) were evaluated. The results obtained through the analysis of correlation revealed a positive relationship between the different subscales of the two tests used to evaluate teacher self-efficacy as well as between teacher self-efficacy and the personal strengths and virtues of teachers. The highest correlations were found with the personal strengths of Wisdom and Knowledge, on the one hand, and Humanity, on the other. The need to incorporate in the training, initial and permanent, the work of strengths and personal virtues as the basis of development and personal and professional effectiveness is discussed.

Keywords

• eficacia docente
• autoeficacia docente
• fortalezas y virtudes personales
• república dominicana