The relationship between online classroom management and the self-efficacy of K-12 EFL teachers

This study explored if there is a relationship between classroom management and the self-efficacy of K-12 EFL teachers in an online environment. It also delved into the teachers' perceptions of classroom management and teaching online. By using an explanatory mixed-method design, participants who were English as a Foreign Language teachers (EFL) in K-12 schools (N=62) during the Covid-19 pandemic were investigated. The quantitative data collection instrument used in the study was the Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) which was modified to suit online education. Using Pearson correlation analysis, the data reported a positive and strong correlation between the teachers' sense of efficacy and classroom management in the online environment. A further investigation was carried out on the impact gender, years of experience, and current grade levels had on the sub-categories of the scale; Classroom Management, Efficacy in Student Engagement, and Efficacy in Instructional Strategies in the online classroom. Using a three-one-way between-group analysis of variance (ANOVA), the results detected no statistically significant difference. Finally, the qualitative findings gained from the teachers' interviews supported the results and revealed a striving attitude toward the teachers' professional development which was deemed positive during the online education.