An Investigation of the Factor Structure of the Teacher Efficacy Scale

Abstract

Abstract The 2-factor structure of S. Gibson and M. H. Dembo's (1984) Teacher Efficacy Scale (TES) was investigated. Although the researchers asserted that the factors corresponded to A. Bandura's (1977) outcome and efficacy expectations, A. E. Woolfolk and W. R. Hoy (1990) observed that the factor structure is potentially confounded by item orientation; items on the 1st factor have a mostly positive orientation, whereas items on the 2nd factor are mostly negative. That possibility was tested by revising TES items so that both orientations were available for each item. Teachers (N = 196) completed 1 of 2 scales, each with revised and original items. Three potential factor structures were examined using principal axis factoring. Although the teacher efficacy construct may be multidimensional, when wording confounds are eliminated, the TES appears unidimensional.