Building a World
Class School
Teaching with your Strengths
Loretta Abbasi
Al Ihsan School of Excellence
Cleveland, Ohio
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Teaching with your Strengths
Action Research Study of Teacher Efficacy
 Teaching with your Strengths Workshop
 Teacher Supervision Model
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What makes a World Class School?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Qualified Teachers
Institutional Integrity
Good Curriculum
Strong Leadership
Resources
3
73% of Americans believe
the biggest problem facing America
is a lack of qualified teachers.
4
What do great teachers do differently?
“While their styles and approaches may
differ, all great teachers make the most of
their natural talents”
 They discover what they do best and they
do it continuously.

5
Purpose of the study
Need for Effective Teachers
 Need for Qualified Teachers
 Keep them!
 Strengths Based Supervision Model

6
Can teachers develop a better perception of
self-efficacy when they learn to apply their
natural talents and strengths?
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Review of the Literature
Self Efficacy
 Teacher Efficacy
 Student Efficacy
 Collective Efficacy

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Self Efficacy


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A person’s judgment about his or her
capability to organize and execute a course
of action that is required to attain a certain
level of performance.
Mastery Experience
Modeling
Vicarious Experience
Verbal Persuasion
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Teacher Efficacy
A teacher’s belief in his or her capability to organize
and execute courses of action required to
successfully accomplish a specific teaching task in
a particular context.
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A teacher’s level of TE effects their student’s level of SE.
Teachers with high levels of TE exert more effort.
Teachers with high levels of TE are more persistent in
times of difficulties.
Teachers with high levels of TE are more resilient.
Teachers with high levels of TE cope with stress.
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Student Efficacy
A student’s belief or judgment that she/he can learn.
 Students with high levels of SE have higher academic
achievement.
 Students with high levels of SE have higher motivation.
 Students with high levels of SE select more challenging
tasks.
 Students with higher levels of SE put forth more effort.
 Students with higher levels of SE have a higher rate of
persistence.
 Students with the same academic skills perform better
with High Efficacy.
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Collective Efficacy
The perceptions of teachers in a school that
the efforts of the faculty as a whole will have
a positive effect on students.
 Institutional Integrity
 Collegial Leadership
 Teacher Affiliation
 Academic Emphasis
 Resources
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Methodology
Teaching with your Strengths
 Collaborative Teacher Retreat
 The Q12
 Teacher Efficacy Scale

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Teaching with your Strengths
Positive Psychology
 Clifton Strengths Finder
 Strengths Based Schools
 Team Building
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The Q12
1.
2.
3.
Do you know what is
expected of you at work?
Does the mission of your
company make you feel
your job is important?
Do you have a best
friend at work?
4.
5.
6.
Are your associates
committed to doing
quality work?
In the last year, have you
had opportunities at
work to learn and grow?
In the last 7 days, have
you received recognition
or praise for doing good
work?
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7.
8.
9.
At work do your opinions
seem to count?
In the last 6 months, has
someone at work talked
to you about your
progress?
Does your supervisor, or
someone at work, seem
to care about you as a
person?
10.
11.
12.
Is there someone at
work who encourages
your development?
Do you have materials
and equipment you need
to do your work right?
At work do you have the
opportunity to do what
you do best?
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The Gallup Engagement Hierarchy
Q12. Opportunities to learn & grow.
Q11. Progress in last six months.
Q10. I have a best friend at work.
Q09. Coworkers committed to quality.
Q08. Mission/Purpose of company.
Q07. At work, my opinions seem to count.
Q06. Someone at work encourages my development.
Q05. Supervisor/Someone at work cares.
Q04. Recognition last seven days.
Q03. Do what I do best every day.
Q02. Materials and equipment.
Q01. I know what is expected.
How
can
we grow?
Growth
Teamwork
Do I belong?
What do I give?
Management
Support
Basic Needs
What do I get?
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The Gallup Path
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Lack of Cohesiveness
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Teamwork
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Supervision Model
Managers who create environments in which
employees are able to make the most of
their talents have more productive work
units with less employee turnover.
Studies show that strengths-based
development increases self confidence,
direction, hope, and altruism.
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Participants
10 Teachers from Al Ihsan School
 9 Teachers from Universal Academy of
Pittsburgh
 1 Parent Volunteer / Gallup Consultant
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Findings
PERSONAL EFFICACY
AVERAGE
6
5
4
BEFORE
3
AFTER
2
1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10 11 12 13
QUESTION
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TEACHER EFFICACY
6
AVERAGE
5
4
BEFORE
3
AFTER
2
1
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
QUESTION
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Teacher Interviews
Has your teaching changed after discovering your
strengths and attending the workshop?
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More Cooperative Behaviors amongst
Teachers.
Higher Feelings of Teaching Methods
Knowledge.
Show Promise in Desire to Learn & Grow.
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Limitations
Teacher Efficacy Survey Lacks Clarity
 Two Factors are Problematic & Unstable
 Efficacy Measurements are not Specific
 Better Measures Need to be Developed
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Conclusions
Teachers may be able to understand
student strengths and individual needs
as a result of understanding their own
talents and strengths.
As a result, they may develop higher
levels of Teacher Efficacy
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Future Implications
Explore effects of teacher efficacy and
teacher attrition.
 Explore collective efficacy and external
factors.
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The Bottom Line
Research has shown that the single most
important factor in teacher retention and
teacher effectiveness is a high sense of
teacher’s self efficacy.
(Johnson, 2005)
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