Correlates of research self-efficacy among Filipino teacher educators

Gauging teacher educators’ research self-efficacy and its correlates is indispensable, as these variables directly impact their research productivity, scholarly engagement, and sustained participation in academic inquiry. Research self-efficacy plays a critical role in enabling teacher educators to initiate, persist in, and complete research activities despite institutional and professional challenges. Hence, this descriptive-correlational study determined the level of research self-efficacy and its correlates among teacher educators at a Philippine state university using a valid and reliable Research Self-Efficacy Scale (RSES). The scale measured teacher educators’ perceived confidence across multiple components of the research process, including conceptualization, methodology, data analysis, ethical considerations, and scholarly writing. The study indicates that, overall, teacher educators exhibit high research self-efficacy, reflecting confidence and competence in multiple facets of conducting research. This suggests that respondents generally perceive themselves as capable of performing essential research-related tasks. The identified correlates of research self-efficacy include personal profile (sex) and selected professional profiles, specifically educational attainment, teaching research experience, and the number of research-related seminars or trainings attended. The results demonstrate that male teacher educators are more confident in conducting research than their female counterparts. Additionally, teacher educators with advanced educational qualifications exhibit significantly higher research self-efficacy than those with lower levels of academic degrees. Similarly, teacher educators with experience in teaching research demonstrate greater research self-efficacy compared to those without such experience. Last, teacher educators who participated in more research-related seminars or trainings show significantly higher research self-efficacy than those who attended fewer or no seminars. Careful consideration of these correlates is of paramount importance when devising institutional and faculty development interventions aimed at strengthening research self-efficacy. Such interventions may enhance teacher educators’ confidence in conducting research, ultimately improving their research engagement, productivity, and contribution to institutional research goals.