Abstract

• Teachers’ self-efficacy, teachers’ beliefs in their ability to effectively handle the tasks, obligations and challenges related to their professional activity, drives their goals and behaviors in the working environment. The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between teachers’ self-efficacy and their motivation for teaching. Specifically, this study was to examine the differences of teachers’ self-efficacy and motivation for teaching by job designation, working experience, and schools. Teachers’ self-efficacy was examined by Teachers’ SelfEfficacy Scale, while motivation for teaching was assessed by Autonomous Motivation for Teaching. A total of 373 teachers from eight schools of Yangon Region participated in this study. Results indicated that there was no significant difference of teachers’ self-efficacy by job designation, working experience, and school. Among teachers’ preferred types of motivation for teaching, the percentage of intrinsic motivation was the highest. The results indicated that the relation between motivation for teaching and job designation was significant. In addition, this study provides clear evidence that the more working experience teachers had, the greater intrinsic motivation for teaching. Furthermore, this study indicated that there was significant association between motivation for teaching and schools. Finally, findings revealed that teachers’ self-efficacy was positively correlated with identified and intrinsic motivation (autonomous motivation) for teaching. Therefore, this study suggests that teachers who have higher levels of teachers’ selfefficacy tend to be more identified and intrinsic motivation (autonomous motivation) for teaching than those who have lower levels of teachers’ self-efficacy.