Social studies teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs - Do demographic characteristics make a difference

Oct 15, 2026

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Limited research has examined Social Studies teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs in senior high schools in Ghana’s Central Region. This cross-sectional descriptive survey collected questionnaire data from 342 Social Studies teachers using census sampling. Guided by Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory and analyzed with SPSS, the study used descriptive statistics and inferential tests including independent samples t-test and one-way between-groups ANOVA. Results showed very high self-efficacy levels and statistically significant effects of gender, age, and teaching experience.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time30 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Methodology

Data analysis

Findings

Discussion of the Findings

Conclusions and Recommendations

Implications for Effective Teaching and Learning of Social Studies

References

Asian Journal of Education and Training Vol. 11, No. 1, 31-42, 2025 ISSN(E) 2519-5387 DOI: 10. 20448/edu. v11i1 .6637 © 2025 by the authors; licensee Asian Online Journal Publishing Group Social studies teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs: Do demographic characteristics make a difference Joseph Bentil 1 Isaac Eshun2 􀀣 Alfred Kuranchie3 Anthony Bordoh4 1Department of Basic Education, University of Education, Winneba, Ghana. 1Email: j[bentil@uew.edu.gh](bentil@uew.edu.gh) 2,3,4Department of Social Studies Education, University of Education, Winneba, Ghana. 2Email: [isaaceshun@uew.edu.gh](isaaceshun@uew.edu.gh) 3Email: [akuranchie@uew.edu.gh](akuranchie@uew.edu.gh) 4Email: [abordoh@uew.edu.gh](abordoh@uew.edu.gh) (􀀣 Corresponding Author) Abstract While research exists on teacher self-efficacy beliefs, limited research is documented on the level of self-efficacy beliefs among Social Studies teachers, and much less in the senior high schools in the Central Region of Ghana. In view of this lacuna in the literature, this study investigated the level of self-efficacy beliefs among Social Studies teachers in senior high schools in Ghana using Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory as a theoretical foundation. The cross-sectional descriptive survey design within the positivist paradigm was used to collect data from 342 Social Studies teachers through a census sampling technique with a questionnaire as an instrument. With the aid of SPSS, descriptive (mean, standard deviation) and inferential statistics, such as independent samples t-test and one-way between-groups ANOVA, were used to analyse the data. The study revealed that Social Studies teachers had very high levels of self-efficacy beliefs. The findings also pointed out that demographic characteristics such as gender, age, and years of teaching experience statistically significantly influenced Social Studies teachers' levels of self-efficacy beliefs. Therefore, it was recommended that in rolling out refresher training and continuous professional development programs to sustain, improve, and strengthen the dimensions of self-efficacy beliefs identified in the study, Social Studies teachers' demographic characteristics such as gender, age, and years of teaching experience should be considered since they influenced their levels of self-efficacy beliefs. Keywords: Classroom management, Demographic characteristics, Instructional strategy, Self-efficacy, Self-efficacy beliefs, Senior high school, Social studies teachers, Student engagement. Citation | Bentil, J., Eshun, I., Kuranchie, A., & Bordoh, A. (2025). Social studies teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs: Do demographic characteristics make a difference. Asian Journal of Education and Training, 11(1), 31–42. 10.20448/edu.v11i1.6637 History: Received: 13 November 2024 Revised: 8 April 2025 Accepted: 21 April 2025 Published: 2 May 2025 Licensed: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License Publisher: Asian Online Journal Publishing Group Funding: This study received no specific financial support. Institutional Review Board Statement: The Ethical Committee of the University of Education, Winneba, Ghana, has granted approval for this study on 9 January 2024 (Ref. No. UEWEC/24/97). Transparency: The authors confirm thatthe manuscript is an honest, accurate, and transparent account of the study; that no vital features of the study have been omitted; and that any discrepancies from the study as planned have been explained. This study followed all ethical practices during writing. Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Authors’ Contributions: All authors contributed equally to the conception and design of the study. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. Contents 1. Introduction ..............................................................................

FAQs

What theoretical framework guided the study on Social Studies teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs?

The study used Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory as its theoretical foundation.

How were the data collected and from how many participants?

Data were collected using a questionnaire from 342 Social Studies teachers through census sampling.

Which demographic characteristics were found to significantly influence self-efficacy beliefs?

Gender, age, and years of teaching experience statistically significantly influenced teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Elsa