A Transcendental Phenomenological Study on Teacher Self-Efficacy: Exploring the Lived Experiences of Teachers with Provisional Licensure While Working in the Classroom

The purpose of this transcendental qualitative phenomenological study was to describe self-efficacy through the lived experiences of K-12 teachers working with a provisional license in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the state of Georgia. The theory guiding this study was Bandura’s theory on self-efficacy, as it explained the sources of self-efficacy. The central research question this study set out to answer was: What are the self-efficacy experiences of K-12 teachers working with a provisional license in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the state of Georgia? The subsequent sub-questions focused on each of the four sources of self-efficacy: (1) mastery, (2) vicarious experiences, (3) verbal persuasion, and (4) physiological and affective states. The methodological approach integrated key elements of the design method, including epoché, in preparation for the qualitative data collection that included a systematic approach to effectively conduct phenomenological research, using a survey, individual interviews, and focus groups while deriving the essence of the lived experiences. Data analysis revealed composite structural and textural descriptions where five themes emerged by implementing the research design of Moustakas: (a) the provisionally licensed educator, (b) teaching experiences, (c) formal training and observation, (d) performance feedback, and (e) frame of mind. The findings confirmed Bandura’s four sources of self-efficacy and demonstrated that provisionally licensed teachers described having low teacher self-efficacy combined with a high sense of teacher self-efficacy dependent on the source.