Journal of Cross-Disciplinary Perspectives in Education Vol. 2, No. 1 (May 2009) 25-31 Page 25 Teacher Self-efficacy and the Supervision of Marginal Teachers Karen Cagle and Paul Hopkins Introduction Along with school accountability and adequately yearly progress for all students, the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) calls for a “highly qualified teacher” in each classroom. This directive in national policy highlights the value educational reformers and policy makers placed on having knowledgeable and effective teachers in every classroom. No one would argue the necessity for “highly qualified teachers.” Coleman and Jenck’s study revealed that the quality of teaching varies among individual teachers and teachers can positively or negatively influence student achievement. This influence continues to affect the student after he or she has left the teacher’s classroom (Marzano, Pickering, & Pollock, 2001). Besides high-stakes standardized tests, classroom teachers must prepare students for the 21 st Century global marketplace which includes emerging technologies and undiscovered job opportunities. Knowing this, to what extent can educational leaders support teachers who do not have a positive impact on student achievement so that the vision of NCLB is realized? This report applies a theory from the field of cognitive psychology to the supervision of marginal teachers in order to improve both teacher and student performance. School administrators are tasked with a variety of responsibilities, including the supervision of teachers. This involves establishing a professional working and learning environment, supporting teacher professional growth, as well as providing resources and direction to ensure these efforts impact student academic performance (DiPaola & Hoy, 2008). Principals supervise teachers who have a variety of teaching styles, preparation and work experience, and personalities. Supervising master teachers who experience success in the classroom is one thing; however, addressing the needs of marginal teachers is another. Teachers deemed to be marginal can include both new teachers who are overwhelmed with a profession they once perceived more optimistically and veteran teachers who are frustrated with the changes in education and society. These teachers may not meet the definition of “highly qualified” based on observed performance in the classroom and the academic achievements of their students. If marginal teachers are ones that have lowered their expectations of students, put less effort into planning and implementing effective lessons, or become complacent or overwhelmed when faced with one of the many challenges that accompany the teaching profession, building level leaders can use research on self-efficacy to identify strategies that can help those teachers. Research has shown that teachers with stronger self-efficacy set high goals and show increased effort, persistence and resilience (Tschannen-Moran, Hoy, & Hoy, 1998). In addition, the collective efficacy of the organization can have a positive influence on individuals, as well as the group. If school administrators understand the four sources that contribute to improving self-efficacy (Bandura, 1997), they can use these when supervising marginal teachers in order to improve classroom instruction and ultimately student learning. The Origins of Teacher Self-efficacy Theory In order for school administrators to positively influence their teachers’ individual and collective self-efficacy, they must first understand the theory and how it relates to teaching. “Teacher efficacy is the teacher’s belief in his or her capability to organize and execute courses of action required to successfully accomplish a specific teaching task in a particular context” (Tschannen- Moran et al., 1998, p. 22). A teacher’s self-efficacy beliefs depend on the extent to which the teacher perceives his or her capacity to influence student performance, even unmotivated or struggling learners (Tschannen-Moran & Hoy, 2001). Teacher self-efficacy theory has derived