The purposes of this qualitative, multi-case study were (1) to find similarities and differences in writing instruction between self-reported high and low efficacy teachers and (2) to explore the sociocultural and experiential influences which impacted the development of these teachers’ self-efficacy in writing. This study included four cases, two kindergarten and two first grade teachers. Two of the participants reported high efficacy, while the other two reported low efficacy on a writing Self-Efficacy Scale. Data were collected using interviews, classroom observations, and collection of documents.
The constant comparative method of qualitative analysis was used to analyze the data. As conceptual categories emerged from the analysis, the evidence was sorted into categories. Comparison of the categories to one another resulted in theory that is grounded in these findings and this context. Data analysis revealed two major findings: (1) classroom instruction of high efficacy teachers was more systematic, student-centered, and process-oriented than that of the low efficacy teachers and (2) influences on participants’ efficacy included early writing experiences in the home and school, and the influence of colleagues after the participants began their teaching careers. The grounded theory generated from these findings suggests that the writing instruction of teachers with high efficacy is more systematic, more student-centered and more process-oriented, the interactions and responses humans get from other human beings appear to be a critical
factor in the development of writing self-efficacy, and having high self-efficacy as a writer, resulting from positive experiences in regard to writing, increases the chances of a teacher having high self-efficacy as a teacher of writing.