A Quantitative Analysis of the Relationship between Collective Teacher Efficacy and Its Enabling Conditions with Student Achievement in Colorado's Elementary and Middle Schools

This quantitative, correlational study aimed to investigate the relationships between collective teacher efficacy (CTE), its enabling conditions (EC-CTE), and student achievement in third through eighth grades in Colorado. Leveraging the theoretical foundations established by Rotter (1954), Bandura (1977) and expanded by Tschannen-Moran et al. (1998) and Adams and Forsyth (2006), a newly formed construct of CTE was created by using questions from the Teaching and Learning Conditions Colorado (TLCC) Survey. The following research questions guided the study: (Q1) Is there a statistically significant relationship between the collective teacher efficacy construct, as measured by selected TLCC Survey questions, and student achievement scores? (Q1a) Does collective teacher efficacy make an independent contribution to explaining the variance in student achievement when controlling for the SES of the school? (Q2) Is there a statistically significant relationship between the enabling conditions of collective teacher efficacy, as measured by selected TLCC Survey questions, and student achievement scores? The research design utilized structured equation modeling to examine the association between a school-wide CTE construct and student achievement scores, as represented by the school's English language arts and mathematics scores on the Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) assessment. Additionally, this study addressed a gap in the existing literature by focusing on the enabling conditions that facilitate CTE and examining their correlation with student achievement. Finally, this study explored whether CTE and EC-CTE independently contributed to student achievement after controlling for socioeconomic status (SES). This secondary analysis used data from public schools in Colorado that completed the TLCC Survey and CMAS in 2022. Data were used from 353 schools in Colorado that met the threshold for publicly reportable TLCC survey data and CMAS assessment data. TLCC Survey questions were used to create a CTE construct and an EC-CTE construct that were then both used for future calculations. The results showed that CTE had a significant positive relationship with student achievement in both mathematics and English language arts (ELA), meaning that schools with higher levels of CTE tended to have students who performed better academically. In contrast, EC-CTE did not exhibit a direct significant effect on student achievement. Additionally, the study highlighted the persistent influence of SES on student achievement. SES showed a significant negative relationship with both math and ELA scores. This study aimed to provide insights that could guide school leaders and policymakers in school improvement approaches and strategies. Precise wording and comprehensive question inclusion were concluded as a necessity when measuring CTE and EC-CTE. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]