Measurement of Teachers’ Beliefs in Their Control over Student Outcomes [MTBCSO-28]

Description

The Measurement of Teachers’ Beliefs in Their Control over Student Outcomes (MTBCSO-28) is a psychometric instrument designed to examine teachers’ beliefs regarding the extent to which they feel able to influence and control student-related outcomes within the classroom.

The questionnaire consists of 28 statements, to which teachers indicate whether they agree or disagree. The Greek adaptation of the instrument was conducted by E. Kalyva and has been used in research samples of primary school teachers.

The concept of locus of control refers to the way teachers attribute educational outcomes. A more internal locus of control reflects the belief that teachers’ own actions, instructional practices, and interventions can substantially influence student outcomes. In contrast, a more external locus of control reflects the belief that outcomes are mainly determined by factors outside the teacher’s direct control.

Purpose

The main purpose of the MTBCSO-28 is to assess the extent to which teachers perceive themselves as having control over events occurring in the classroom and, more specifically, over outcomes related to students’ behavior and educational progress.

Assessing these beliefs can contribute to a better understanding of how teachers perceive their professional role, their capacity to intervene effectively, and their personal responsibility in managing difficulties that arise in the school environment.

Analysis and Psychometric Properties

The questionnaire has demonstrated good face validity. Research findings have shown a statistically significant correlation between teachers’ locus of control and occupational burnout (r = 0.56), suggesting that teachers’ perceptions of control over student outcomes may be associated with their professional well-being.

Internal consistency reliability for the total set of items has been reported as Cronbach’s α = 0.79, while the morality scale has been reported to have α = 0.78.

Scoring

For each of the 28 statements, participants select one of two possible responses, indicating agreement or disagreement.

The total score ranges from 0 to 28.

Lower scores indicate a more internal locus of control, suggesting a stronger belief that teachers themselves can influence student outcomes.

Higher scores indicate a more external locus of control, suggesting that outcomes are more strongly attributed to external factors beyond the teacher’s direct control.

Applications

The MTBCSO-28 may be used in research examining teachers’ professional beliefs, self-efficacy, occupational burnout, classroom management, and perceptions of student behavior.

It may also be useful in studies exploring factors associated with teachers’ professional adjustment and in the development of training or intervention programs aimed at strengthening teachers’ sense of professional control and effectiveness.

References

Kalyva, E., Karagiannis, P., Tzastas, T., Tsountaki, M., & Chatzilexiadou, E. (2007). The effect of teacher burnout on the perception of undesirable student behaviors. In Proceedings of the Conference “Primary Education and the Challenges of Our Time” (pp. 1279–1283). Ioannina.

Rose, J. S., & Medway, F. J. (1981). Measurement of teachers’ beliefs in their control over student outcome. Journal of Educational Research, 74, 185–190.