Abstract Decades of research continue to show that effective teachers are the single most important factor and strongest influence on students’ academic achievement, motivation, self-efficacy, and social emotional development. Yet, approximately 40-50% of teachers leave the profession within their first five years; that number increases to up to 70% for teachers who serve students of color. In addition, one out of every five teachers leave the teaching profession after their first year, therefore,...

Abstract This study used a mixed-method design to examine the relationship between open classrooms as a form of professional development and teacher efficacy in the arenas of instructional strategy, classroom management, and student engagement. This study was conducted with sixth to eighth grade teachers in a middle school, located in central New Jersey. Teachers were surveyed using the Tschannen-Moran and Woolfolk Hoy's (2001) Teachers' Self-Efficacy Scale (TSES) 24 question Likert scale. They...