1. Article Summary

Teachers’ efficacy beliefs are critical to improving student learning but we

have yet to fully understand how these beliefs develop. The prevailing model of

teachers’ efficacy development emerges from cognitive theories but socio cultural

theories may add insight to show the impact of teachers’ school contexts. It same

goes to job satisfaction in teaching. It can be interpreted usefully within the

framework of personality theories related to adult development. This case study used

a mixed method approach to explore teachers’ efficacy of beliefs, stress and job

satisfaction in a remote setting. There were two studies being conducted by four

researchers, Robert M. Klassen, Rosemary Y.Foster, Sukaina Rajani, Carley

Bowman from University of Alberta, Canada.

The first study was a quantitative research whereby it examined self and

collective efficacy, job stress and job satisfaction and compared the variables with a

comparison group of teachers from several schools in western Canada.

Questionnaires were distributed to investigate job beliefs from teachers from Yukon

and western Canada who attended the teachers’ convention held in Yukon. From

the analysis, it was found that the teachers’ self-efficacy, stress from student

behaviour and job satisfaction were variables that reliability distinguished between

teachers with high and low overall job stress.

The second study was a qualitative research whereby it was conducted to

elaborate and provide deeper analysis of the quantitative finding with a particular

focus on teachers’ job satisfaction and job stress. Qualitative samples were

according to teaching level and experience, gender and geographical location. 20

teachers were being interviewed face to face informally and formally. From the

analysis, it was highlighted the physical geography, connection with community and

cultural transitions were the role or the factors affected teachers’ job stress and job

satisfaction. The findings also highlighted the influence of cultural and community

factors of teachers’ working lives.

2. Research Questions

No hypothesis was stated but the study stated 3 research questions:

i) What is the relationship between teachers’ efficacy beliefs, job stress

and job satisfaction for teachers in the Yukon?

ii) Are the levels and patterns of relationship different for teachers in

remote and urban settings?

iii) What do teachers in the Yukon say about factors that influence their job

stress and job satisfaction?

3. Sample and Sample Selection

There was different type of samples being used seemed the

researchers conducted two studies.

Study 1

In Study 1, 107 teachers who were attending one of two territory –wide

teachers’ conventions held in Yukon. It is estimated that participants

represented all or almost all of the 28 schools in cities, towns and villages

in the territory. Participants were 64% female, a mean of 13.35 years of

experience, taught in variety of Yukon school configurations. They were

mostly European ethnicity with 8% as first nations heritage and 12% not

indicated.

Participants in the comparison group were recruited at a large

mandatory teacher convention with over 6000 attendees from urban or

suburban school districts in a metropolitan in Western Canada. The

comparison group were 61% female, a mean of 13.1 years of experience

and mostly 86.5% of European heritage.

Demographic characteristics were same for teachers from Yukon and

western Canada and there were no significant differences of age, teaching

experience or gender between the two samples.

Study 2

In study 2, it was conducted to elaborate and provide deeper analysis

of the quantitative finding with a particular focus on teachers’ job

satisfaction and job stress in order to explore the factors that northern

teachers understood to influence the stress they experienced in work

setting and the satisfaction they derived from teaching in Yukon.

20 teachers were selected from a large amount of volunteers who had

indicated their interest to be interviewed during the researchers visit to

various schools and communities. The teachers were participated in face-

to-face interviews. The samples were 10 participants who primarily taught

secondary grades and 10 who taught elementary grades with n types of

backgrounds.

4. Data Gathering Instruments and Procedures Employed

In study 1, quantitative phase was being used. Researchers used

reliable and well-validated measures of teachers’ self efficacy, teachers’

collective efficacy, job stress, source of job stress and job satisfaction.

Teachers in each setting were asked to complete a brief survey on teacher

motivation. Even the participation rates were about 70% and 80% but due

to the conferences were well attended event and because of high

response rate, it was believe that the samples are representative of

teachers in the respective locations. Participants responded to all

measures using a 9 point measure with descriptions at 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9.

To measure the self efficacy of the teachers, Teachers’ Sense of

Efficacy Scale (TSES) by Tschannen-Moran and Woolfolk (2001) were

applied. The TSES also known as “superior to previous measures of

teacher efficacy” because is aligned with self-efficacy theory (Woolfolk Hoy

& Burke Sp[ero, 2005, p.354). The measure has shown evidence of

reliability and validity in a variety cultural setting (Klassen, 2010).

The sources of job stress were measured using previous studies

approach of teacher stress (Boyle, Borg, Fazlon & Baglioni, 1995;

Chaplain, 1995). The sources of job stress were measured using seven

items representing workload stress and stress from student behaviour

from the Teachers Stress Inventory (Boyle et al.,1995). Personally I think

there might be a decline on the result of the survey due to the location

during the survey. The character, behaviour and emotion of the teacher

can be affected due to the teacher were gathered at different settings and

events.

In study 2, qualitative phase being used. Researchers conducted face

to face interviews with 20 teachers to represent teaching experience

ranging from two teachers in the first year of teaching and their final year

of teaching. The researcher keep track on the themes and issues arouse

through their observation of school and informal conversations with

education stakeholders over the 2 years of the study by keeping and

running the field notes. It was a good action by keeping the field note so

that it can be guidance for the researcher during the interview sessions. 20

formal interviews being conducted and were audio-recorded and

transcribed.

The researchers used a constant comparative method of content

analysis that included deductive and inductive coding procedures through

various data collection over 2 years. The researchers organized and

coded the interview data using the priority start codes and collectively

developed a set of further codes that emerged through multiple readings

and coding the interview data. Due to multiple relationships between

codes and themes, the researcher allowed themes to share codes.

Qualitative research analyses are designed to uncover the latent content

or themes from the data (Krippendorf, 2004) and three themes reflect

teachers’ beliefs about teaching in the north. The validity of the data

analysis by reviewing and assessing emerging themes from previous

interviews.

5. Research Findings

This study aimed for two characteristics. First study aim was to

compare levels and patterns of self-collective efficacy, jobs stress and its

sources and satisfaction for teachers in a northern Canada and western

Canada.

In study 1, it was found that the teachers’ self-efficacy, stress from

student behaviour and job satisfaction were variables that reliability

distinguished between teachers with high and low overall job stress. Most

teachers in both settings agreed that teaching was stressful but also

satisfying and there was no significant difference between the two groups

on the two variables.

Second aim, was to examine how geographical and social factors

influenced work-related factors especially job stress and satisfaction in the

remote setting.

In study 2, findings were found based on several theme:

i) Theme 1 : Physical and human geography influence job stress and job

satisfaction

It was found that the stress and satisfaction from teaching in Yukon

was strongly influenced by the geography and outdoor recreation

opportunities of the setting. The human geography of the territory also

influenced emotions and motivation.

ii) Theme 2 : Building connections with the community leads to teaching

satisfaction

It was found that the presence of first nations students and families in

the community was viewed as a strong influence on teachers’

connection with the community and provided challenges and rewards

for teachers coming from outside the territory.

iii) Theme 3 : Cultural transitions in the community lead to teachers’

professional stress

It was found that the cultural transitions of students, parents and other

community members increased the challenges and stress inherent in

teaching in the North.

From study 2, it was highlighted the importance of geographical, social

and cultural factors for teachers working in remote settings.

In overall findings, it was found that from both studies showed the job

stress and job satisfaction were influenced by physical and human

geography, level of connection with the community and by the

community’s cultural transitions. It also showed that the collective

motivation beliefs were an important role to increase job satisfaction in

both studies.

6. Conclusion

It can be concluded that the study used a mixed methods approach to

explore teachers’ self and collective efficacy, job stress and job

satisfaction in remote northern Canada. Both studies which used

quantitative and qualitative research were explained clearly through this

research paper. Personally, I am very clear on the explanation given

throughout the process of conducting the research. The good things of this

study, it also explained the types of questions were asked during the study

and the limitations of the study so it can give guidance for other

researchers to reduce the risks in achieving the objective of a study.

This study proved that from the mixed method approached which was

quantitative and qualitative method used, more better results and better

understanding can be gained and explored in a certain study instead of

using one method only. This study can give slight implications towards the

teachers in the remote setting because the findings from the study for

professional practice were significant because job satisfaction has been

shown to influence career decisions and to enhance motivation and

performance of the teachers.

Teaching in the Yukon : Exploring Teachers’ Efficacy

Beliefs, Stress and Job Satisfaction in a Remote Setting

Prepared for:

Dr Teoh Sian Hoon

EDU702 Lecturer

Prepared by :

Siti Hajar binti Anip (2011937431 )

M.Ed TESL

Student Part 1 (Group ED7701A2)

MARA University of Technology

Shah Alam