Abstract:

Recent research implies that dramatic differences exist in collective efficacy of teachers from urban, suburban and rural schools. Suburban and rural schools are more often experiencing problems such as scarcity of financial and other resources, difficulties in accessing high-quality teachers and student disciplinary issues. Such problems are more frequent in larger suburban and rural schools. Schools with larger population of teachers and students are often characterized by lack of consensus which consequentially affects group cohesion and school performance.

Group size and group cohesion are important factors influencing perception of collective teacher efficacy. The vicious circle of disciplinary issues, poor relations between teachers and students, and teachers and parents, slow implementation of inclusive schooling and lack of agreement with colleagues in struggling schools, may lead to excessive teacher stress. In cases when teachers face greater number of stress risk factors, they may become more inclined to reactive disciplinary strategies in contrast to proactive strategies in classrooms, additionally perpetuating the vicious circle. Teachers exposed to numerous stressors consequentially have a tendency to burnout and low efficacy beliefs, particularly if those teachers are simultaneously facing scarce resources and low administrative support.

Results of research conducted among 249 teachers from eight secondary schools in Canton Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, imply that teachers from suburban and rural schools have a pesimistic perception of group competencies in contrast to their colleagues from urban schools. Such results can be related to poor group cohesion among teachers, lower levels of motivation, low socio-economic status of students and disciplinary issues as barriers to reform implementation.

Keywords:

Collective teacher efficacy, urban schools, rural schools, teacher stress, group cohesion.