Teacher self-efficacy and student misbehaviour: the moderating role of gender–classroom management

Abstract

Purpose

Drawing on Bandura's social cognitive theory, the present study examines the relationship between teacher self-efficacy and student misbehaviour, while exploring the moderating effects of teacher gender using gender schema theory.

Design/methodology/approach

The structural equation modelling examined the study model. Data were collected using self-report questionnaires from 464 teachers in secondary schools in Sri Lanka.

Findings

The results revealed that teachers' self-efficacy in overall teaching negatively correlated with student misbehaviour. Teacher gender had no moderating effects, implying an indistinct patriarchal influence on which the hypothesis was based.

Practical implications

The present study offers suggestions and practical recommendations in the areas of classroom management, school leadership, teacher education, and education administration on ways to enhance teachers' self-efficacy, particularly their self-efficacy in managing students' problematic behaviours. The findings of the study may also imply that the patriarchal dominance in Sri Lankan households may be waning.

Originality/value

This research is the first ever to apply gender schema theory to explore the moderating effects of gender in the self-efficacy–student misbehaviour relationship.

Citation

Kengatharan, N. and Gnanarajan, A.H. (2023), "Teacher self-efficacy and student misbehaviour: the moderating role of gender–classroom management", International Journal of Educational Management, Vol. 37 No. 2, pp. 507-525. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-04-2022-0141