How Teaching Competitions Support the Development of Teaching Self-Efficacy: A Study of Award-Winning English as a Foreign Language Teachers

Abstract

The research focuses on award-winning EFL (English as a foreign language) teachers’ teaching competition experiences. Each of the 11 EFL teachers interviewed in the study had won at least two prizes in teaching competitions. The main objective of this research is to explore their recollections of participating in teaching competitions and the impact that their experiences had on them. The findings indicate the important role of teaching competitions in the development of EFL teachers’ teaching self-efficacy and factors that are responsible for increase in teaching self-efficacy. The interview data were analyzed using thematic analysis, resulting in the identification of four key themes: knowledge, practice and reflection, feedback, and interpersonal support. These themes are discussed in the context of Bandura’s self-efficacy theory, highlighting how teaching self-efficacy is developed through the interplay of various factors, including experiences, knowledge, and contextual factors. The study provides valuable insights into the literature on the development of teaching self-efficacy, and specific recommendations for developing effective teaching competition activities.