What influences teachers’ self-efficacy in East Asia? Evidence from the 2018 Teaching and Learning International Survey

Teachers’ self-efficacy plays an essential role in shaping an effective teaching and learning environment. We investigated the factors influencing teachers’ self-efficacy in three typical and influential East Asian countries: China, Japan, and South Korea. Data were sourced from the 2018 Teaching and Learning International Survey. We used hierarchical linear modeling to examine the effects of teacher- and school-level factors on teachers’ self-efficacy. Results show that teaching years, teaching practices, disciplinary climate, teacher–student relationships, job satisfaction, and social utility motivation to teach were significantly associated with teachers’ self-efficacy in each location. In addition, at the school level, teachers in China who worked in private and urban schools had higher self-efficacy than those who worked in public and rural schools. Implications for improving teachers’ self-efficacy in East Asia are discussed.