Teacher self-efficacy for managing positive peer relations: understanding its sources

Promoting positive social interactions in the classroom has become a crucial component of teachers’ tasks and is critical for educational quality. This study aims to understand the experiences and processes that promote teacher self-efficacy for managing positive peer relationships (TSE-PPR) as an essential input for designing effective teacher education. Fifty-three secondary school teachers from Uruguay participated in online focus groups assessing the experiences and conditions that teachers perceive as relevant for developing TSE-PPR. Hierarchical thematic framework analysis of the data included the primary sources for self-efficacy according to Bandura’s original theory and a series of emerging codes spanning teachers’ personal and interpersonal resources and teaching context. The paper further describes the identified experiences and their interactions aided by the analysis of code co-occurrence. The author concludes that openness, emotion regulation, student bonding, teamwork, and sharing with colleagues are malleable key factors in activating Bandura’s sources and establishing TSE-PPR.