A Qualitative Case Study of Elementary Teachers’ Experiences of Collective Teacher Efficacy

Recent educational research has indicated the significance of collective teacher efficacy (CTE), with publications highlighting CTE’s connections to more productive teacher practices and improved student outcomes in P–12 schools. Less is known, however, about teachers’ experiences of CTE and their collective actions to improve student learning; implications for in-service teacher education remain underexplored. This article presents a qualitative case study that documents how teachers experienced CTE at an elementary school. The study’s data sources included semi-structured interviews and an audio recording of professional presentations from eleven teachers. Thematic analysis indicated that teachers experienced CTE as a sense of recognition that while they faced a range of shared professional challenges, teachers were not alone and could address their challenges collaboratively. Teachers also experienced CTE as a recognition that they possessed common goals, collective knowledge and perspectives, and shared practices they could leverage to address challenges. Based on these findings, the article delineates implications for future teacher education programming and research.