Journal of Education and Training Studies

Vol. 2, No. 3; July 2014

ISSN 2324-805X E-ISSN 2324-8068
Published by Redfame Publishing
URL: http://jets.redfame.com
26

Does Emotional Self-efficacy Predict Teachers' Self-efficacy and
Empathy?
Marina Goroshit
1,2
& Meirav Hen
1

1
Tel Hai Academic College, Israel
2
Higher School of Economics (LCSR Russian Government Grant 11.G34.31.0024 from November 28, 2010)
Correspondence: Marina Goroshit, Tel Hai Academic College, Upper Galilee, 12208 Israel

Received: February 27, 2014 Accepted: March 12, 2013 Online Published: May 5, 2014
doi:10.11114/jets.v2i3.359 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.11114/jets.v2i3.359

Abstract
Research has shown that teachers` self-efficacy and empathy are two of the most important variables consistently
related to outcomes of positive teaching and student learning. Emotional self-efficacy refers to peoples' judgment
regarding their own capacity to process emotional information accurately and effectively. It is considered a powerful
variable affecting the emotional state of individuals and their performance. The main objective of the present study was
to examine to what extent emotional self-efficacy predicts teachers` self-efficacy and empathy in teachers. Findings
indicated that emotional self-efficacy predicts both empathy and teachers` self-efficacy. These results contribute to the
growing body of literature maintaining that in order to practice and succeed in the complex and demanding school
milieu, teachers must develop not only their teaching skills, but the emotional capacity required to enhance their
resilience, their survival and their ability to innovate.
Keywords: emotional self-efficacy, empathy, teacher self-efficacy
1. Introduction
Recently, the focus of the investigation of the effectiveness of teachers has shifted from the teachers' knowledge of their
content area, development of lesson plans and classroom management skills, to identification of teachers' beliefs and
self-regulatory skills, necessary for teaching and learning (Bembenutty, 2007). It was shown that empathic teachers tend
to create a safe and encouraging learning milieu, and to foster positive relations with their students (Cooper,
2010) .Teachers` self-efficacy beliefs were also found to be associated with a wide range of teaching and learning
motivations and contributions to students performance and achievements (Thoonen, Sleegers, Peetsma, & Oort, 2011;
Tschannen-Moran, & Woolfolk Hoy, 2007). While a wide range of studies examined the contributions of empathy and
teachers` self-efficacy to teaching and learning outcomes, little has been written about possible sources and predictors of
these variables (Gibbs & Powell, 2012). Following the findings of a previous study that examined the emotional
determinants of teachers' self-efficacy (Hen & Goroshit, 2013) and other studies, that indicated the importance of
teachers' emotional understanding and their confidence in their ability to manage and regulate emotions (Aultman,
Williams-Johnson, & Schutz, 2010; Gibbs, 2003), the present study examined emotional self-efficacy as a predictor of
teacher's self-efficacy and empathy.
1.1 Empathy in Teachers
Researchers usually describe empathy as the moral feeling concerning the welfare of others, facilitating inter-personal
relationships and influencing people to engage in pro-social and altruistic behaviors (Pizarro & Salovey, 2002). Teacher`s
empathy has been defined as the ability to express concern and adopt the perspective of the student involving cognitive
and affective domains of empathy (Tettegah & Anderson, 2007, p. 50). Empathic teachers were found to possess high
moral standards, to communicate successfully with their students, both emotionally and mentally, and to encourage
students to forge this kind of relationship with others (Cooper, 2004). These teachers act as moral role models for
students, by engaging them in positive interactions. This type of personal interaction helps to increase the quality of
teaching and learning, contributes to improved behavior and fosters sharing among students (Tettegah & Andersen,
2007). Empathic teachers were also shown to strengthen students sense of belonging to their schools, and their
relationships with teachers and peers (Cooper, 2010). Thus, teachers` empathy is a required teaching skill promoting a
positive learning environment for all students. Moreover, researchers agree that teachers can be trained to be more
Journal of Education and Training Studies Vol. 2, No. 3; 2014
27

empathic (Ming Lam, Kolomitro, & Alamparambil, 2011).
Hen (2010) argued that empathy has many educational-therapeutic qualities and, hence, it is important to nurture and
empower its role in the relationships created among the many figures involved in the school framework. Findings of her
study showed a positive correlation between levels of self-efficacy in teaching You alternatively use teacher`s
self-efficacy, teaching self-efficacy and self-efficacy in teaching. You should be aware of the fact that this may confuse
the reader, I suggest you use the same term always) and teachers empathy, and positive attitudes towards children with
special needs incorporated in a mainstream educational framework. Another study that evaluated empathy among
teachers, found that an increase in the level of self-efficacy in teaching, was the best predictor of increased levels of
empathy among teachers (Yoon, 2002). Finally, Jennings and Greenberg (2009) found that teachers confidence in their
ability to recognize emotions and emotional patterns and to generate, regulate and use emotions such as joy and
enthusiasm, promotes empathic relationships with others.
1.2 Teachers' Self-efficacy
Self-efficacy is a future-oriented belief concerning the level of competence that a person expects he or she will display in
a given situation (Bandura, 1997). Considerable research supports the claim that self-efficacy is an important influence on
human achievement in a wide variety of settings, including education, health, sports, and work (Bandura, 1997).
According to Bandura (1986), self-efficacy strongly influences the choices people make, the effort they expend and their
perseverance in the face of challenge. Self-efficacy beliefs influence task choice, effort, persistence, resilience and
achievement (Britner & Pajares, 2006).
Teachers' self-efficacy beliefs are judgments of their capability to influence desired outcomes related to students'
performance, behavior, and motivation in the classroom (Gibbs & Powell, 2011). Teachers` confidence in their
individual capability to influence student learning, is considered to be one of the key motivational beliefs influencing
professional teachers` behavior and student learning (Klassen, Tze, Betts, & Gordon, 2011). A considerable amount of
evidence indicates that teachers' level of self-efficacy is associated with job satisfaction and job related stress (Betoret,
2009), teachers' burnout (Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2010) and teachers instructional practices, enthusiasm, commitment, and
teaching behavior in class (Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2007; Somech & Drach-Zahavy, 2000). Teachers self-efficacy is also
related to student outcomes such as students self-efficacy beliefs and student engagement, motivation, and achievement
(Bong, 2008; Eren, 2009).
Studies have identified a variety of external and internal variables contributing to and affecting teachers` self-efficacy
(Klassen et al., 2011). External influences included environmental factors (e.g. number of pupils, teaching materials,
physical conditions), that place limitations on what teachers can accomplish in class (Ho & Hau, 2004), whereas internal
influences refer to teachers` beliefs and perceptions concerning their ability to control and regulate their thoughts and
emotions in relation to student learning. Friedman (2003) argued that teachers' confidence in their ability to regulate their
relationships with students and colleagues, contributed most to their overall sense of self-efficacy in school. Skaalvik and
Skaalvik (2007) found that teachers' self-efficacy levels correlated negatively with time pressures, but correlated
positively with feelings of autonomy and relations with parents. Chan (2003, 2004) found that inter-personal intelligence
predicts teachers' self-efficacy in helping others. Penrose, Perry and Ball (2007) found a link between emotional
intelligence and teachers` self-efficacy. Finally, Jennings and Greenberg (2009) suggested that teachers confidence in
their ability to recognize emotions and emotional patterns, will exhibit higher levels of self-efficacy in teaching. Gibbs
(2003) argued that teachers personal sense of control and their beliefs in their capability to control their thinking and
feeling, affect their self-efficacy beliefs and actual teaching.
1.3 Emotional Self-efficacy in Teachers
Emotional self-efficacy refers to peoples' judgment regarding their own capacity s to process emotional information
accurately and effectively, as a means of self- regulation and managing emotions intelligently (Kirk, Schutte, & Hine,
2008). It combines Bandura's (1986) concept of self-efficacy and Emotional Intelligence theory. People who perceive
themselves as possessing a good balance between emotion and thought, specifically, the ability to regulate ones own as
well as others inner feelings and beliefs, in order to provide useful input for consideration and action, score high on this
trait. Sutton and Wheatley (2003) suggested that the substantial variation in teachers` self-efficacy could result in part
from variance in teachers' emotions. Chan (2004) found that teaching self-efficacy beliefs were significantly predicted
by the components of emotional intelligence. Penrose, Perry and Ball (2007) studied teachers and principals in Victoria
and found a strong link between emotional intelligence and teachers` self-efficacy. Gender, age and length of teaching
experience did not moderate the relationship between the two variables.
Saarni (1999) claimed that emotional self-efficacy is expressed as a feeling of personal efficiency during inter-personal
interactions involving emotions. Emotional self-efficacy relates to the perceived ability to use one's own emotional
reactions as well as those of others, as coping aids. People with high levels of emotional self-efficacy are typically
Journal of Education and Training Studies Vol. 2, No. 3; 2014
28

largely aware and sensitive to the emotions of others as well as their own. They are open to and accepting of negative
emotional experiences and are able to change emotions in an adaptable and flexible manner. High levels of emotional
self-efficacy contribute to a sense of satisfaction with life in general, scholastic success, positive beliefs, beliefs in one's
social competence and ability to control emotions (Schunk, 2005). Studies indicate that emotional self-efficacy is
important for the individual's self-confidence, ability to set challenging goals and perseverance on the way to realize
these goals (Saarni, 1999).
Emotional self-efficacy in teachers plays a dual role: on the one hand it enables teachers to integrate and fit into the
educational and social system, thus helping them pave their way to professional success, while on the other hand, it
enables them to nurture their students by helping them develop high levels of social and emotional competence (Meyer
& Turner, 2002; Yoon, 2002).
Based on the above literature, this study aimed to answer two questions: (1) Whether and to what extent does emotional
self-efficacy predict empathy and teacher self-efficacy among teachers? (2) Does emotional self-efficacy contribute
equally to the explained variance of these two competencies?
2. Method
2.1 Participants and Procedure
The sample included 273 teachers: 67% females and 33% males, mean age - 36 years (SD= 11 years), 79%
were married, 18% were single, and the rest were divorced, in a relationship or widowed. 81% of teachers in the
sample described themselves as secular, and the rest - as traditional (14%) or religious (5%). 28% of participants have a
BA degree, 21% - an MA degree, and the remainder (42%) - a B.Ed. degree. The mean teaching experience in the
sample is 12 years (SD=11 years). 33% of teachers hold a position of class educator (general studies), 34% are subject
specific teachers, 4% teach both a specific subject and general studies, and the rest defined their role as the "other".
The data were collected by research assistants in 10 schools in northern and central Israel. The assistants explained to
the teachers that the current study focuses on the attitudes and perceptions of teachers and that participation is voluntary
and anonymous. Teachers completed the questionnaire in 20 minutes on average. They were not offered any incentive
for participating in the study.
2.2 Measures
2.2.1 Empathy
Empathy was measured by using a multi-dimensional empathy questionnaire (Interpersonal Reactivity Index) of Davis
(Davis, 1983). This instrument included 28 statements that measured four dimensions. The items ranked on a 5-point
Likert scale (from 1 - "does not describe me at all" to 5 - "describes me well"). For this study, the questionnaire was
adjusted to school situations by incorporating images of teachers and students in the items, for example: "I often see
things from the perspective of the student" instead of "from the perspective of the other" (Hen, 2010). The internal
reliability of the Empathy scale was: =.84 and a general mean score was used.
2.2.2 Emotional Self-efficacy
In the Emotional Self-efficacy (ESE) questionnaire (Kirk et al., 2008), the subjects were asked to assess on a 5-point
Likert scale, to what extent each item describes (5) or does not describe (1) him/her. This questionnaire included 32
statements representing four dimensions: understanding emotions (e.g. "I know what causes to my negative feelings"),
perceiving others' emotions (e.g. "I am able to recognize other person's negative feelings"), facilitating emotions (e.g. "I
know how to use positive feelings to produce good ideas") and regulating emotions (e.g. "I am able to change negative
feelings to positive ones"). The internal reliability of the Empathy scale was: =.83 and a general mean score was used.
2.2.3 Teaching Self-efficacy
Teaching self-efficacy (TSE) was measured by a questionnaire aiming to assess feelings of self-efficacy in teachers
(Friedman & Kass, 2002). This instrument included 29 items on a 5-point Likert scale (from 1-"does not describe me at
all" to 5 - "describes me well"), was related to three dimensions: learning tasks (e.g. "I think that I am able to be very
creative in my work with children"), relationships with students (e.g. "I think that my way of teaching has an influence
on the values and the principles of my pupils"), communication with the organization (e.g. "I am an active member in
decision making processes at my school"). The internal reliability of the TSE scale was: =.89 and a general mean score
was used.
2.3 Data Analysis
In order to predict empathy and teaching self-efficacy in teachers by emotional self-efficacy, we first computed Pearson
correlations between the research variables and then built a structural equation model using AMOS 18 (Arbuckle, 2009),
including the three research variables (ESE, Empathy and TSE) and three control variables (gender, academic degree
Journal of Education and Training Studies Vol. 2, No. 3; 2014
29

and years of teaching experience).
The control variables were entered in order to assess the vulnerability of the regression coefficients to the possibility of
spurious associations. In line with previous studies on teachers' empathy and self-efficacy, these included age, gender
(1-male), academic degree (1-M.A., 0-B.A. or B.Ed. as a proxy for education) and years of teaching experience (e.g.,
Castillo, Fernndez-Berrocal, & Brackett, 2013; Penrose, Perry, & Ball, 2007; Stojiljkovi, Djigi, & Zlatkovi, 2012).
3. Results
The current study aimed to reply on two questions: (1) Whether and to what extent can empathy and teacher
self-efficacy can be predicted by emotional self-efficacy? (2) Does emotional self-efficacy contribute equally to the
explained variance of these two competencies?
Pearson correlations between the variables show that all the three research variables are significantly and positively
intercorrelated and that the strength of correlations between them ranges from .38 to .56. In addition, the gender and
academic degree are not correlated with the research variables, while years of teaching experience has weak positive
correlation with them (See Table 1).
The analysis of the structural model that predicts empathy and teaching self-efficacy by emotional self-efficacy reveals
that, controlling for gender, academic degree and years of teaching experience, emotional self-efficacy positively
predicts both empathy (=.55; p<.001) and teaching self-efficacy (=.51; p<.001), and explains 30% and 31% of their
variation, respectively. This means that teachers who report higher levels of emotional self-efficacy, also report higher
levels of empathy and teacher self-efficacy. Comparison of the values of regression coefficients of emotional
self-efficacy on empathy and teacher self-efficacy (.55 vs. .51, respectively), show that the independent variable
contributes equally to the explanation of the variation in dependent variables.
4. Discussion
Following the compelling evidence accumulated over the past three decades revealing the relationship between teachers
beliefs concerning their capability to influence students motivation and achievement, and important processes and
outcomes in school (Technan-Moran & Woolfolk Hoy, 2007), the present study investigated the relationship between
emotional self-efficacy, teachers` self-efficacy and teachers` empathy. It examined the extent to which emotional
self-efficacy (Kirk et al., 2008), predicts empathy and teaching self-efficacy among teachers in Israel. Based on the
literature (Jennings & Greenberg, 2009) it was assumed that teachers' confidence in their ability to manage their emotional
states (emotional self-efficacy), predicts both teachers' self-efficacy and empathy in teachers.
Findings indicated that emotional self-efficacy predicts empathy and teaching self-efficacy among teachers. These
findings coincided with other findings that examined the relationship between emotional and multiple intelligence and
teachers' self-efficacy (Chan, 2003, 2004; Penrose et al., 2007; Sutton & Wheatley, 2003).
Our findings also coincided with those of two studies that examined the relationship between emotional intelligence and
empathy among nurses and school counselors (Constantine & Gainor, 2001; Skinner & Spurgeon, 2005), and other
studies that suggested emotional self-efficacy as a crucial aspect for the self-confidence that enables the individual to set
challenging goals and to persevere in the realization of these goals (Saarni, 1999). However, none of these studies
examined the relationship of these variables together. Interestingly, the findings of the present study combine two very
important but different aspects of teachers' emotional functioning namely, feelings concerning their own teaching
abilities and their self-stated ability to understand the feelings and emotions of others (empathy), thus creating a single
powerful construct that predicts them both.
These are preliminary findings and should be further examined. However, they may contribute to the growing body of
literature concerning the importance of teachers' beliefs and self-regulatory abilities in promoting students` motivation
(Thoonen, Sleegers, Peetsma, & Oort, 2011) and effective teaching (Bumbarty, 2007). Teachers' emotions and emotional
abilities have been the focus of social-emotional learning (SEL) theories (Elias, 2009) and pedagogical content
knowledge (PCK) theories that examine the intersection between pedagogical content knowledge and emotional
knowledge, and their contribution to the emotional ecology in class (Zembaylas, 2007).
Although the size of the sample of the present study was adequate, the fact that teachers` self-efficacy, empathy and
emotional self-efficacy were evaluated only by self-reported measurements, limits the significance of the findings.
Future research should address these limitations, and qualitative instruments (Klassen et al., 2011) should be employed
to learn more and promote our understanding of the relationships and effects of these concepts on teachers' professional
lives. In addition future studies should explore training strategies to enhance emotional self-efficacy in teachers.
Further research should also focus on all aspects of these constructs, and study them carefully. Nevertheless the current
findings can contribute to our understanding of teachers' emotions and emotional abilities that must be developed in order
Journal of Education and Training Studies Vol. 2, No. 3; 2014
30

to improve our school systems, and overall teaching milieu (Betoret, 2009; Cooper, 2004; Jennings & Greenberg, 2009;
Sutton & Wheatly, 2003).
References
Arbuckle, J. L. (2009). Amos 18.0 users guide. Chicago: SPSS.
Aultman, L. P., Williams-Johnson, M. R., & Schutz, P. A. (2009). Boundary dilemmas in teacher-student relationships:
Struggling with the line. Teaching and Teacher Education, 25, 636646.
Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A Social cognitive theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ:
Prentice-Hall.
Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York: W. H. Freeman & Company.
Bembenutty, H. (2007). Teachers' self-efficacy and self-regulation. Academic Exchange Quarterly, 11, 155161.
Betoret, F. D. (2009). Selfefficacy, school resources, job stressors and burnout among Spanish primary and secondary
school teachers: a structural equation approach. Educational Psychology: An International Journal of Experimental
Educational Psychology, 29(1), 4568.
Bong, M. (2008). Effects of parentchild relationships and classroom goal structures on motivation, help-seeking
avoidance, and cheating. Journal of Experimental Education, 76,191-217.
http://dx.doi.org/10.3200/JEXE.76.2.191-217
Britner, S. L., & Pajares, F. (2006). Sources of science self-efficacy beliefs of middle school students. Journal of
Research in Science Teaching, 43(5), 485499. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/tea.20131
Caprara, G. V., Fida, R., Vecchione, M., Del Bove, G., Vecchio, G. M., Barbaranelli, C., & Bandura, A. (2008).
Longitudinal analysis of the role of perceived self-efficacy for self- regulated learning in academic continuance and
achievement. Journal of Educational Psychology, 100(3), 525534. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.100.3.525
Castillo, R., Fernndez-Berrocal, P., & Brackett, M. A. (2013). Enhancing Teacher Effectiveness in Spain: A Pilot Study
of The RULER Approach to Social and Emotional Learning. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 1(2),
263272. http://dx.doi.org/10.11114/jets.v1i2.203
Chan, D. W. (2003). Multiple intelligence and perceived self-efficacy among Chinese secondary school teachers in Hong
Kong. Personality and Individual Differences, 23(5), 521533. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0144341032000123778
Chan, D. W. (2004). Perceived emotional intelligence and self-efficacy among Chinese secondary school teachers in
Hong Kong. Personality and Individual Differences, 36(8), 17811795.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2003.07.007
Constantine, M. G., & Gainor, K. A. (2001). Emotional intelligence and empathy: Their relation to multicultural
counseling knowledge and awareness. Professional School Counseling, 5(2), 131137.
Cooper, B. (2004). Empathy, interaction and caring: Teachers roles in a constrained environment. Pastoral Care in
Education, 4, 1221.
Cooper, B. (2010). In search of profound empathy in learning relationships: Understanding the mathematics of moral
learning environments. Journal of Moral Education, 39(1), 7799. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03057240903528717
Davis, M. H. (1983). Measuring individual differences in empathy: Evidence for a multidimensional approach. Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology, 44(1), 113136.
Elias, M. J. (2009). Social-emotional and character development and academics as a dual focus of educational policy.
Educational Policy, 23(6), 831846. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0895904808330167
Eren, A. (2009). Examining the teacher efficacy and achievement goals as predictors of Turkish student teachers
conceptions about teaching and learning. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 34, 69-87.
Freidman, I. A. (2003). Self-efficacy and burnout in teaching: the importance of interpersonal-relations efficacy. Social
Psychology of Education, 6(3), 191215.
Friedman, I., & Kass, E (2002). Teacher self-efcacy: a classroom-organization conceptualization. Teaching and Teacher
Education, 18, 675686.
Gibbs, C. (2003). Explaining effective teaching: Self-efficacy and thought control of action. Journal of Educational
Enquiry, 4, 114.
Journal of Education and Training Studies Vol. 2, No. 3; 2014
31

Gibbs, S., & Powell, B. (2012). Teacher efficacy and pupil behavior: The structure of teachers individual and collective
beliefs and their relationship with numbers of pupils excluded from school. British Journal of Educational
Psychology, 82(4), 564584.
Hen, M., & Goroshit, M. (2013). Individual, organizational and emotional determinants of teacher self-efficacy. Journal
of Studies in Education, 3(3), 2134.
Hen, M. (2010). Sense of self-efficacy and empathy among teachers who include in their classrooms students with special
needs. Journal of Study and Research: Vision and Practice, 13, 134165.
Ho, I. T., & Hau, K. T. (2004). Australian and Chinese teacher efficacy: Similarities and differences in personal
instruction, discipline, guidance efficacy and beliefs in external determinants. Teaching and Teacher Education, 20,
313323. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2003.09.009
Jennings, P. A., & Greenberg, M. T. (2009). Teacher social and emotional competence in relation to student and
classroom outcomes. Review of Educational Research, 79(1), 491525.
Kirk, B. A., Schutte, N. S., & Hine, D. (2008). Development and preliminary validation of an emotional self-efficacy
scale. Personality and Individual Differences, 45(5), 432436. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2008.06.010
Klassen, R. M., Tze, V. M. C., Betts, S. M., & Gordon, K. A. (2011). Teacher efficacy research 19982009: Signs of
progress or unfulfilled promise? Educational Psychology Review, 23(1), 2143.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10648-010-9141-8
Meyer, D. K., & Turner, J. C. (2002). Discovering emotions in classroom motivation research. Educational Psychologist,
37(2), 107114. http://dx.doi.org/10.1207/S15326985EP3702_5
Ming Lam, T. C., Kolomitro, K., & Alamparambil, F. C. (2011). Empathy training: Methods, evaluation practices, and
validity. Journal of Multidisciplinary Evaluation, 7(16), 162200.
Penrose, A., Perry, C., & Ball, I. (2007). Emotional intelligence and teacher self-efficacy: The contribution of teacher
status and length of experience. Issues in Educational Research, 17, 2034.
Pizarro, D. A., & Salovey, P. (2002). Being and becoming a good person: The role of emotional intelligence in moral
development and behavior. In J. C. Aronson (Ed.), Improving academic achievement: Impact of psychological
factors on education (pp. 247266). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
Roorda, D. L., Koomen, H. M. Y., Spilt, J. L., & Oort, F. J. (2011). The Influence of affective teacher-student
relationships on students school engagement and achievement: A Meta-analytic approach. Review of Educational
Research, 81(4), 493529.
Saarni, C. (1999). The development of emotional competence. New York: Guilford.
Salami, S. O. (2007). Relationships of emotional intelligence and self-efficacy to work attitudes among secondary school
teachers in southwestern Nigeria. Essays in Education, 20, 4356.
Schunk, D. H. (2005). Commentary on self-regulation in school contexts. Learning and Instruction, 15(2), 173177.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2005.04.013
Skaalvik, E. M., & Skaalvik, S. (2007). Dimensions of teacher self-efficacy and relations with strain factors, perceived
collective teacher efficacy, and teacher burnout. Journal of Educational Psychology, 99(3), 611625.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.99.3.611
Skinner, C., & Spurgeon, P. (2005). Valuing empathy and emotional intelligence in health leadership: a study of empathy,
leadership behavior and outcome effectiveness. Health Services Management Research, 18(1), 112.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1258/0951484053051924
Somech, A., & Drach-Zahavy, A. (2000). Understanding extra-role behavior in schools: the relationships between job
satisfaction, sense of efficacy, and teachers extra-role behavior. Teaching and Teacher Education, 16(5-6),
649659.
Stojiljkovi, S., Djigi, G., & Zlatkovi, B. (2012). Empathy and teachers roles. Procedia-Social and Behavioral
Sciences, 69, 960966.
Sutton, R. E., & Wheatley, K. F. (2003). Teachers emotions and teaching: A review of the literature and directions for
future research. Educational Psychology Review, 15(4), 327358.
Tettegah, S. & Anderson, C. J. (2007). Pre-service teachers empathy and cognitions: Statistical analysis of text data by
graphical models. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 32(1), 4882.
Journal of Education and Training Studies Vol. 2, No. 3; 2014
32

Thoonen, E. E., Sleegers, P. J., Peetsma, T. T., & Oort, F. (2011). Can teachers motivate students to learn? Educational
Studies, 37(3), 345360. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03055698.2010.507008
Tschannen-Moran, M. & Woolfolk Hoy, A. (2007). The differential antecedents of self-efficacy beliefs of novice and
experienced teachers, Teaching and Teacher Education, 23(6), 944956.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2006.05.003
Usher, E. L., & Pajares, F. (2008). Sources of self-efficacy in school: Critical review of the literature and future directions.
Review of Educational Research, 78(4), 751796. http://dx.doi.org/10.3102/0034654308321456
Woolfolk Hoy, A., & Burke-Spero, R. (2005). Changes in teacher efficacy during the early years of teaching: A
Comparison of four measures. Teaching and Teacher Education, 21(4), 343 356.
Yoon, J. (2002). Teacher characteristics as predictors of teacher-student relationship: Stress, negative affect
andself-efficacy. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 30(5), 485493.
Zembylas, M. (2007). Emotional ecology: The intersection of emotional knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge
in teaching. Teaching and Teacher Education, 23, 355367. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2006.12.002
Table 1. Pearson correlations between control and research variables
M SD
1 2 3 4 5
1 Gender (1-male) 0.33 0.47 --

2 Academic degree (1-MA) 0.23 0.42 .11 --

3 Years of teaching experience 11.57 10.19 -.12
*
.30
*
--

4 Emotional SE 3.53 .48 -.10 -.01 .21
*
--

5 Empathy 3.80 .43 -.09 -.05 .23
*
.56
***
--
6 Teaching SE 3.75 .55 .03 .06 .24
*
.53
***
.38
***

Note: SE=self-efficacy
*p<.05; ***p<.001



















This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Figure 1. Structural equation model for the prediction of empathy and teacher self-efficacy by
emotional self-efficacy