Saudi University Faculty Members Perceptions of Teaching Support and its Relationship to their Perceptions of Teaching Efficacy

Abstract

Recognizing the integral role of faculty in the success of any higher education system, this study examines the relationship between the perception of university teaching support and several demographic factors to the perceived teaching efficacy among faculty members at King Abdulaziz University (KAU) in Saudi Arabia. This study surveyed a sample of full-time faculty members at KAU in Spring 2018. The theoretical foundation of the study was based on teacher efficacy (Bandura, 1977, 1986, 1997), and on research on faculty perceptions of teaching support and teaching efficacy (Chang, Lin & Song, 2011; Chang, McKeachie, & Lin, 2010). The findings support prior research and revealed that perceived administration and peer support were related to faculty teaching efficacy, such that faculty with higher perceived administration and peer support were more likely to believe that they were more efficacious in teaching. Several background variables namely, being a senior, international or a non-STEM faculty member, or having obtained a doctoral degree from USA or Egypt were significant predictors of faculty teaching efficacy. The study did not confirm relationships between faculty teaching efficacy and their perceived teaching resources and pedagogical training, gender, rank, and highest degree. The implications of the findings suggest that there should be a consideration of university support involving data-driven pedagogical training, mentoring program, and an orientation program for novice faculty at KAU that provide a welcoming and friendly working environment where faculty can communicate and support each other as well as introduce faculty to the beneficial teaching resources at KAU. Further studies of teaching support components variables that did (or did not) correlate with faculty perceptions of teaching efficacy are needed at KAU and other Saudi Arabia higher education institutions.