Effects of economic disparity on teacher morale and teacher efficacy

Key words: economic disparity, teacher morale, teacher efficacy, rural and urban school districts, school finances.;Researchers have varying opinions on the effects of state economics on teachers and students. From a sample of 2950 teachers throughout four counties in central Illinois, 374 respondents in 47 school districts, both rural and urban, completed a survey that measured both teacher morale and teacher efficacy.;This study collected and analyzed data using a quantitative methods approach. Four research questions were created to address the purpose and to provide the context within which data were gathered. Teacher demographics were collected to determine if there was a relationship between economics and teacher morale and teacher efficacy. The Purdue Teacher Opinionaire was utilized as the survey instrument for the purpose of measuring teacher morale. The Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale was utilized as the survey instrument for the purpose of measuring teacher efficacy. Three demographic questions preceded the two survey instruments. Other demographic information was gathered on each school district and preloaded to each survey recipient's unique identifier without jeopardizing anonymity. Data were analyzed using Cronbach alpha and four t-tests. Subjects completed the online survey using SurveyMonkey. The information gained from the survey was analyzed and no relationship was found between economic disparity and teacher morale and teacher efficacy.