Why Is It Important

5 people are smiling with one palm raised in the air. Everyone has their palms held together as a group.

(Stebbins, 2019)

Collective Teacher Efficacy (CTE) is the shared belief among a group of teachers that, together, they are able to plan and execute actions that will positively influence student outcomes - even those who are disadvantaged, disinterested, or disengaged (Hattie, 2016).


Hattie stated that 'can do' attitudes fostered by supportive CTE practices has been shown to help teachers positively impact student outcomes for all learners, including those often identified as the most challenging to reach (Hattie, 2016).

Collective Teacher Efficacy: The Research

In an effort to identify which factors had the most impact on student achievement, John Hattie analyzed more than 1500 meta-analyses related to student achievement. His findings, originally published in Visible Learning (2009), have been continuously revised and reported through subsequent publications and on his website, visible-learning.org. An effect size of 0.40 is considered, by Hattie, to be the “hinge point” for which influences have at least a moderate positive effect on student learning (2009). This hinge point identifies those influences that have desired effects on student achievement which can be expected to result in at least a year of growth.

Graphic representation of Hattie's effect size barometer. An arrow points to 0.4 on a scale from -0.2 to 1.2. The area between 0.4 and 1.2 is labeled Zone of desired effects.

(The Economics Network, n.d.)

Based on a review of a meta-analysis by Eells (2011), Hattie (Visible Learning, 2018) cites CTE as having an effect size of 1.57, making it the number one influence on student achievement. The importance of CTE can be explained by comparing it to two factors that are possibly better understood by educators, student-demonstrated prior ability and socioeconomic status. CTE has an influence more than two-thirds higher than prior ability and nearly three times higher than socioeconomic status. CTE is also three times above Hattie’s hinge point, or average effect size, of all influences he has studied.

Graph showing effect sizes for collective teacher efficacy, prior ability, and socio-economic status.

Note: Effect sizes are based on Cohen's d. The average effect size is d=0.40. This average summarizes the typical effect of all possible influences on education (Hattie, 2009).

Why Is Collective Teacher Efficacy Important

Closed Captioning is available in the video by clicking the CC icon.

Watch this video (2:39 minutes) to hear Jenni Donohoo, author and expert, discuss what makes collective efficacy important, including high teacher expectations of self and students. She explains that, in the classroom, teachers are more likely to:

  • demonstrate greater effort and persistence

  • attend to students who are struggling and need extra support

  • increase time on task

  • encourage parent involvement

  • foster learner autonomy

  • believe that they can decrease disruptive behavior - and make it happen


(Corwin, 2019)

Misunderstanding CTE

Watch this video (9:54 minutes). In it, John Hattie explains what CTE is, its importance, and what it is NOT. CTE is more than "talking" about students. Hattie explains what CTE understandings involve, especially the necessity of using data analysis in open, group reflections on practices. Further, he explains the value of trust and its necessity for successful change.

Closed Captioning is available in the video by clicking the CC icon.

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