Abstract:

Background:
Teacher self-efficacy is a key factor in educational quality, professional resilience, and the adoption of innovative pedagogical practices, particularly in online learning contexts. In higher education, understanding how lecturers perceive their capacity to teach effectively and influence student development is especially relevant during periods of pedagogical and technological transition. This study examined university teachers’ perceptions of their own teaching self-efficacy in the context of preparation for online teaching at a Brazilian federal public university.

Methods:
A descriptive quantitative design was employed. Participants were 135 higher education lecturers enrolled in an online training course focused on virtual learning environments and digital educational resources. Data were collected at the beginning of the training through the Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale, a multidimensional instrument assessing perceived efficacy across four domains: job accomplishment, development of work-related skills, social interaction with students, parents and colleagues, and coping with work-related stress. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data, and internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha.

Results:
Overall, participants reported predominantly positive perceptions of teaching self-efficacy. All ten scale items scored above the midpoint of the four-point scale. The highest mean was associated with the belief that sustained effort enables teachers to exert a positive influence on students’ personal and academic development. Comparatively lower scores were observed for confidence in successfully teaching all relevant content to the most challenging students, although these remained positive overall. The scale demonstrated acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.75).

Conclusions:
The findings indicate that most lecturers perceived themselves as capable of performing effectively in online teaching preparation, particularly with regard to supporting student development, adapting to challenges, and engaging in innovative practice. Positive teacher self-efficacy may function as a protective factor against professional burnout and as a relevant resource for successful pedagogical innovation in higher education.

Keywords:

Teacher self-efficacy, higher education, online teaching, teacher training, pedagogical innovation.