Date

4-7-2026

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)

Chair

Antionette Stroter

Keywords

teacher self-efficacy, biological sex, academic qualifications, and middle school teachers

Disciplines

Curriculum and Instruction | Education

Abstract

The purpose of this quantitative, causal comparative study was to investigate the differences in teacher self-efficacy among middle school teachers in Ghana based on biological sex and academic qualifications. This study investigated the effects of biological sex (male or female) and academic qualifications (associate, bachelor’s, or master’s degree) on teacher self-efficacy among 196 middle school teachers in the Effutu Municipality (Winneba) in the central region of Ghana. The study addressed the ambiguity of how academic preparation and demographic characteristics shape a teacher's confidence to positively impact student learning. Data were collected using the teachers' sense of efficacy scale, and a two-way analysis of variance was employed for statistical analysis. The study found that academic qualification was the statistically dominant predictor of overall self-efficacy, thereby rejecting the corresponding null hypothesis 2. Self-efficacy increased hierarchically with educational attainment, reinforcing the principle that advanced degrees provide critical mastery experiences. Although female teachers exhibited significantly higher mean self-efficacy, the non-significant interaction effect confirmed that the positive influence of academic qualification was gender neutral. This suggests that while mean sex differences exist, academic preparation was the most effective leverage point for improving teacher competence. Recommendations include prioritizing policies that incentivize higher academic attainment and conducting future longitudinal and mixed-methods research studies to establish causality and include variables like school support.

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