Teacher Self-Efficacy as Situated Pedagogical Practice in Genre-Based EFL Writing Instruction

Abstract

Although the Genre-Based Approach (GBA) is widely used in EFL writing instruction, research has predominantly emphasized learner outcomes, leaving limited understanding of how teacher self-efficacy is manifested in the enactment of particular GBA stages. This qualitative single-case study investigated how an experienced Indonesian EFL teacher’s self-efficacy was reflected during the Building Knowledge of the Field (BKoF) and Modeling of Text (MoT) stages of a narrative-writing unit and examined the sources underlying her efficacy beliefs. The case involved one teacher at a junior secondary school in Bandung, Indonesia. Data were generated through three 80-minute classroom observations, pre- and post-observation semi-structured interviews, and analysis of one lesson plan. The data were analyzed thematically and interpreted through Bandura’s four sources of self-efficacy, with cross-source comparison and member checking used to strengthen trustworthiness. Four interconnected themes emerged: instructional confidence and adaptive teaching, emotional regulation and classroom stability, engagement efficacy and student interaction, and task-specific self-efficacy across GBA stages. The teacher demonstrated confidence by structuring genre activities, rephrasing explanations, employing story mapping, maintaining composure during instructional difficulties, and encouraging student participation. Her confidence, however, was not uniform: she was more assured when modeling narrative structure than when explaining grammar and past-tense forms. Mastery-related experience and affective states were the most evident sources of efficacy, whereas vicarious experience and social persuasion lacked sufficient evidence to constitute distinct themes. These findings conceptualize teacher self-efficacy as situated, adaptive, and task-dependent rather than as a stable general disposition, highlighting the need for professional development that combines GBA knowledge with targeted support for linguistic modeling and responsive instructional decision-making.