Collective efficacy: A neglected construct in the study of schools and student achievement

A theoretical analysis is advanced that discusses social cognitive theory a t the group level to explain the formation and impact of collective efficac y. The study used student- and school-level data from a sample of urban ele mentary schools. Consistent with social cognitive theory, mastery experienc e was found to be a significant predictor of differences between schools in teachers' collective efficacy perceptions. In addition, after controlling for student demographic characteristics and prior achievement, collective e fficacy was positively and significantly related to differences among schoo ls in student achievement. Finally, the amount of consensus among faculty m embers regarding collective efficacy perceptions was not a significant pred ictor of student achievement, nor was it significantly related to school so cioeconomic status or minority concentration.