The Role of Teaching Self-Efficacy in Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Teaching Satisfaction

Abstract

Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) faculty are crucial to the vitality of engineering education and the effectiveness of future generations of engineers. Teaching satisfaction has been identified as an important predictor of teaching performance and faculty retention. University support for teaching as well as support from the department chair have been identified as important predictors of teaching satisfaction. Further, previous investigations using self-determination theory (SDT) have identified competence (teaching self-efficacy) as an additional predictor of teaching satisfaction. Teaching support, chair support, and teaching self-efficacy were used as predictors of teaching satisfaction in attempt to better understand how administrators can foster teaching satisfaction among ECE faculty. ECE faculty (N = 43) from a large midwestern research institution were sampled to investigate the utility of these variables in predicting teaching satisfaction. Sequential regression modeling indicated teaching support was a positive predictor of teaching satisfaction. Further, teaching self-efficacy was found to predict teaching satisfaction after accounting for teaching support and chair support. Implications, future directions, and limitations are also presented.