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TEACHING EFFICACY, CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE TEACHER AND RAPPORT

Abbas Shirgholami
A_shirgholami@lang.iust.ac.ir

INTRODUCTION
The teacher education program is an important stage in teacher development since it provides
student-teachers with knowledge of their subject matters, as well as equips them with
pedagogical knowledge. Teacher education revolves around issues including course content and
structure and the appropriate use of instructional strategies. However, a major difficulty in the
study of beliefs is related to its broad and multifaceted definition. Teaching efficacy is a predictor
of variables such as student motivation (Herman, P., J.L. Meece and B. McCombs) and teaching
commitment (Darling-Hammond, L., R. Chung and F. Frelow, 2002). Highly efficacious teacher are
more likely to use student- centered learning strategies, while teachers with low efficacy tend to
use teacher-centered strategies (Kaufman, S.E.R. and B.E. Sawyer, 2004)
A considerable amount of studies have been done to investigate the development of teaching
efficacy among student-teachers .Nevertheless, in Iran, research on teaching efficacy of studentteachers is at a relatively early stage. In line with the increasing number of prospective teachers,
assessment of teaching efficacy among student-teachers would provide necessary input towards
providing meaningful teacher education programs that in turn, enhance the quality of new
teachers. The question here we are about to answer is: What characteristics make a teacher more
effective? And learn more about a teaching efficacy

REVIEW OF LITERATURE
A growing number of educational researchers are interested in relationships between teacher efficacy
and other educational variables. For example, teachers efficacy judgments have been correlated with
decreased burnout (Brouwers & Tomic 2000), increased job satisfaction (Caprara, Barbaranelli, Borgogni,
& Steca 2003), and commitment to teaching (Coladarci 1992). Ross (1998) reviewed 88 teacher efficacy
studies and suggested that teachers with higher levels of efficacy are more likely to (1) learn and use new

TEACHING EFFICACY, CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE TEACHER AND RAPPORT

approaches and strategies for teaching, (2) use management techniques that enhance student autonomy
and diminish student control, (3) provide special assistance to low achieving students, (4) build students
self-perceptions of their academic skills, (5) set attainable goals, and (6) persist in the face of student
failure. This shows that there is a relationship between teaching efficacy and student academic
performance. Furthermore, researchers have shown increasing interest in the teaching efficacy of
prospective teachers. Student teaching or teaching practice is generally considered the most beneficial
component of preparation by prospective and practicing teachers as well as teacher educators (Borko &
Mayfield 1995). It is during teaching practice that students develop a positive or a negative attitude
towards teaching as a career, indicating that teaching practice can have both positive and negative
influences. For example, poorly chosen placements result in feelings of inadequacy, low teacher efficacy
and an unfavorable attitude towards teaching (Fallin & Royse 2000) whereas extensive and well-planned
field experiences can help prospective teachers develop confidence, self-esteem and an enhanced
awareness of the profession.

DEFINITION OF TEACHING EFFICACY

Dictionary define the word efficacy as the capacity to produce an effect. It has different specific
meanings in different fields. In medicine, it is the ability of an intervention or drug to produce a
desired effect, but when it comes to teaching environment, we can expand the concept of efficacy
to include the extent to which teachers judgment about his or her capability of bringing desire
learning outcomes. Ashton identified two dimensions of teaching efficacy: general, the extent to
which a teacher believes her students can learn material; and personal, the extent to which a
teacher believes her students can learn under her instruction. Ashton argued that teachers'
beliefs about their ability to bring about outcomes in their classrooms, and their confidence in
teaching in general, play a central role in their abilities to effectively serve their students. Since
then, studies of teaching efficacy and its inclusion in studies of teacher effectiveness have grown
exponentially.
Subsequent understandings of teaching efficacy have refined Ashton's understanding of
personal efficacy. In a seminal review of teacher efficacy, Megan Tschannen-Moran (1956) and
Anita Woolfolk Hoy (1947) operationalized teachers' sense of control over student outcomes in
the Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) (Tshannen-Moran & Woolfolk Hoy 2001). Rather than

TEACHING EFFICACY, CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE TEACHER AND RAPPORT

thinking about efficacy as a proxy for a global sense of confidence, they defined teacher efficacy
as teachers' perceptions of their resources and strategies for bringing about student behavioral
and instructional outcomes. Rather than ask, How much can you help your students think
critically? the TSES asks, How much can you do to help your students think critically? This
minor change in wording illustrates a critical issue in teacher efficacy research: that teachers'
sense of efficacy reflects the judgments they make about their capabilities given the emotional
and instrumental resources they can gather in a specific context. Because teachers' judgments of
their resources and strategies may vary across teaching contexts, Woolfolk Hoy argues that
teachers' efficacy beliefs may not be uniform across all disciplines or even across all student
populations. It is therefore important to account for context and discipline in order to accurately
assess teacher efficacy.
In light of so many different ways of defining teachers' beliefs about themselves, why is teacher efficacy
such an important construct? Simply put, empirical studies have recognized teacher efficacy as a major
predictor of teachers' competence and commitment to teachingmore powerful than self-concept, selfesteem, and perceived control. Four seminal reviews of the impact of teacher efficacy by Ross (1998),
Goddard et al. (2000), Labone (2004), and Wheat-ley (2005) reveal consistent findings: teachers who
report a higher sense of efficacy, both individually and as a school collective, tend to be more likely to
enter the field, report higher overall satisfaction with their jobs, display greater effort and motivation,
take on extra roles in their schools, and are more resilient across the span of their career. Moreover, the
extent to which shifts in teacher efficacy take place as teachers transition into new contexts appears to
depend upon the level of support in the context; greater support from administrators and colleagues
buffers against declines.

CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE TEACHER

What makes a teacher effective? Research indicates that teacher preparation, knowledge of
teaching/ learning, subject matter knowledge, experience, and the combined set of qualifications
measured by teacher licensure are all leading factors in teacher effectiveness.( DarlingHammond-2006)
Recently, some critics have questioned the role of teacher preparation as a key to teacher
effectiveness. Its time to separate fact from fiction, truth from myth about teacher preparation.

TEACHING EFFICACY, CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE TEACHER AND RAPPORT

Most of the research findings on pre-service teacher preparation are consistent with common
sense and the experience of those in the classroom. Here are five key findings from the existing
research on teacher preparation:
1. Teacher preparation helps candidates develop the knowledge and skill they need in the
classroom
2. Well prepared teachers are more likely to remain in teaching
3. Well prepared teachers produce higher student achievement
4. Leading industrialized nations invest heavily in pre-service teacher preparation
5. NCATE makes a difference in teacher preparation
Available research supports the idea that high quality teacher preparation is important. Well
prepared teachers outperform those who are not prepared
Some policymakers have recently advocated that a passing score on a test of subject matter
knowledge and a background check are all that is needed to become an effective teacher.
Moreover, some policymakers have embraced approaches that permit teachers with no
preparation in pedagogy or child/adolescent development to be classified as highly qualified,
if they pass a test of subject matter knowledge.
New studies refute this idea. Daniel Goldhaber, University of Washington researcher, says that licensure
test performance is clearly not a silver bullet. Licensing tests are usually paper and pencil tests of subject
matter knowledge and on occasion, pedagogical knowledge. This finding argues for a much more
comprehensive system for assessing teachers to determine their preparedness to enter the classroom as
sole practitioners. Two components are critically important in teacher preparation: teacher knowledge of
the subject to be taught, and knowledge and skill in how to teach that subject. Research and common
sense tell us that subject matter knowledge is necessary for effective teaching. But there is a second part
of the equation: knowledge and skill in how to teach is also a must. Effective teachers understand and are
able to apply strategies to help students increase achievement. They understand and apply knowledge of
child and adolescent development to motivate and engage students. They are able to diagnose individual
learning needs. They know how to develop a positive climate in the classroom in order to make it a

stimulating learning environment. Besides all founding about an effective teacher I always
believed success comes from working smarter, not harder. So, instead of normal teachers, who

TEACHING EFFICACY, CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE TEACHER AND RAPPORT

always follow the same principles, I have tried to be a problem solver for students only thing I
need to do is finding a best remedy for learning barriers of students, so I can apply different
strategies to increase students achievement along with their motivation. I believe being an
effective teacher doesnt mean you have to follow certain rules it means you have to teach and
work with passion.

WHAT IS RAPPORT, AND ITS EFFECT ON LEARNING?

Rapport is the ability to relate to others in a way that creates a level of trust and understanding.
It is the process of responsiveness at the unconscious level.
Rapport is one of the most important features or characteristics of unconscious human
interaction. It is commonality of perspective, being in "sync", being on the same "wavelength" as
the person with whom you are talking.
There are a number of techniques that are supposed to be beneficial in building rapport such as:
matching your body language (ie, posture, gesture, and so forth); maintaining eye contact; and
matching breathing rhythm. Theres a common misunderstanding that rapport is all about getting
the other person to like you. While that is often a nice effect of having rapport, it is not the core
of rapport at all. Building understanding and demonstrating it is the essence of rapport, and being
liked for it is the reward. And notice that its not only about saying you understand the other
persons model of the world, you demonstrate It. A large body of empirical research has
confirmed the positive relationship between nonverbal mirroring and rapport in a broad range
of social contexts, few researchers have focused on education. Researchers found a positive
relationship between nonverbal mirroring and the students ratings of the teacher (Babad, Avni
Babad, & Rosenthal, 2013), but whether teachers nonverbal mirroring could build teacherstudent rapport had not been studied yet. Researches showed that people unconsciously sent a
message It is you that control the interaction, when they mirrored their partners behaviors
(Cheng & Chartrand, 2003). Even if the students did not recognize the teachers mirroring
behaviors, they could still perceive this message at an unconscious level. Therefore, nonverbal
mirroring helps students focus on the interactions, build self-confidence, feel harmonious

TEACHING EFFICACY, CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE TEACHER AND RAPPORT

cooperation with the teacher, and receive more immediate and helpful responses from the
teacher. Faranda and Clark (2004) list rapport as one of the top six attributes that students
believe are present in good instructors, and early research on rapport building suggested that
rapport is crucial characteristic of being an ideal instructor. Schrodt and Witt (2006) explain the
potential benefits of rapport building, stating, Few can deny the fundamental importance of
instructors establishing...rapport with students at the beginning of a new semester (p. 3). Frisby
and Myers (2008), drawing from research by Roach, Cornett- Devito, and Devito (2005) succinctly
explain the Potential benefits of rapport building in a classroom setting: Intuitively, an instructor
who maintains positive rapport with students would also achieve a sense of liking from them,
increase students state motivation, and enhance students satisfaction, in part because students
feelings of liking for instructors often evolves into liking for the course and increased learning.
The effects of rapport building between instructors and students align with assumptions of the
Affective Learning Model (ALM). The ALM posits that favorable instructor behaviors are essential
to building relationships between students and instructors, which can help create positive
student affect toward both the instructor and the class, which in turn may improve cognitive
learning. Affective learning refers to students feelings about course content, about enrolling in
another course with similar content, and about the course instructor (Frisby & Martin, 2010).

CONCLUSION
Interpersonal communication is vital to student learning and building rapport has been shown to
be an effective way of communicating with students. By engaging in uncommonly attentive
behaviors, connecting behaviors, information sharing behaviors, courteous behaviors, and
common grounding behaviors, instructors will hopefully experience improved instructor-student
relationships, which will lead to more effective teaching, and, ultimately, result in being effective
teacher. Anyway, these two concepts should complement each other because its hard to be an
effective teacher if you are not efficient, and for being excellent teacher you need to have passions:
passions for learning, for your field, for teaching and for your students.

TEACHING EFFICACY, CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE TEACHER AND RAPPORT

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