Exploring Teacher Efficacy in Intensive English Programs at Jazan University: Implications for Classroom Practices and Student Learning

Abstract

This research sought to determine and prioritize the perceived relative importance of the various efficacy-based factors among EFL teachers instructing first-year university students at the Intensive English Programs in Jazan University, Saudi Arabia. The following efficacy-based factors were prioritized using quantitative survey methodology employing the forced-choice survey design: Teacher Well-being, Professional Development, Mastery Experience, Collective Efficacy, High Self-Efficacy, and Teacher Enthusiasm. A total of seventy-two experienced teachers were involved in the anonymous prioritizing survey. The construction of the hierarchy utilized both descriptive statistics and confidence intervals. There is a clear hierarchy of influence, in which teacher well-being was rated first, followed by professional development and mastery experience, while collective efficacy, self-efficacy, and teacher enthusiasm took fourth, fifth, and sixth, respectively. Confidence interval analysis confirmed statistically reliable differences between the top and bottom-ranked factors. These results demonstrate how current institutional support can be enhanced through the careful prioritization of instructor well-being as a foundational element, thus strengthening the effectiveness of collaborative development initiatives. Finally, the study offers suggestions to program administrators, particularly related to the sustainability of system-wide well-being and faculty development programs to support learning environments that promote teaching effectiveness, while creating the theoretical conditions needed for successful language acquisition.