Date of Award
Winter 2-27-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Education
First Advisor/Committee Member
Dr. Kristine Gritter, PhD
Second Advisor/Committee Member
Dr. Julie Antilla, PhD
Third Advisor/Committee Member
Dr. David Denton, EdD
Fourth Advisor/Committee Member
Dr. Jenni Donohoo, PhD
Keywords
collective efficacy, collective teacher efficacy, professional development, professional learning, agency
Abstract
Collective teacher efficacy (CTE) refers to a faculty’s shared belief in its collective ability to take action and positively impact student outcomes in ways more influential than other predictive factors, including socioeconomic status or prior achievement. Research has shown that high levels of CTE are associated with improved student achievement as well as positive outcomes and productive behaviors among educators. However, limited attention has been given to how intentional design and facilitation of professional learning experiences could foster the development of CTE. Given the strong empirical evidence linking CTE with student achievement and the virtuous cycle, or bidirectional causality, between CTE and student achievement, there is value in investigating approaches that can advance both concurrently. This pragmatic phenomenological study explores how teachers’ lived experiences of transformative (agentic) professional learning can offer actionable insights into how CTE may be positively influenced within the time and resources already allocated for professional learning. Failing to intentionally design professional learning that incorporates efficacy-building experiences represents a missed opportunity to strengthen CTE and support teachers’ competence and confidence for enacting changes that will benefit student outcomes. Further, teachers merit informed inclusion in processes that shape their efficacy development. The results of this study include a model of transformative (agentic) professional learning and an examination of the role of the four sources of efficacy within that model. These findings provide insights for policy makers, educational leaders, and professional learning facilitators seeking to intentionally design professional learning that strengthens CTE within existing time and fiscal resources.
Recommended Citation
Thomas, Stephanie, "Toward a Model of Agentic Professional Learning: A Phenomenological Study of Collective Efficacy Development" (2026). Education Dissertations. 103.
https://digitalcommons.spu.edu/soe_etd/103
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