Predictors of professional self-efficacy in university health teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Introduction: Because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in higher education, university teachers face challenges that test their ability to teach virtual classes, so it is important to study the factors that predict their professional self-efficacy.

Objective: To determine whether adaptation to virtual academic environments and workload predict professional self-efficacy in university health science teachers.

Methods: Cross-sectional, predictive study. Under a non-probabilistic purposive sampling, 252 university teachers (26 to 53 years of age), who teach in professional schools such as nursing, medicine, psychology, dentistry, biology and nutrition, from three Peruvian universities participated. The evaluation was carried out using a scale of adaptation to virtual academic environments, a workload scale and a professional self-efficacy questionnaire. A multiple regression model with a significance level of 5% was estimated using SPSS 22.0 statistical software.   

Results: There were differences in the level of adaptation to virtual academic environments between men and women, as well as significant correlations between the study variables (p< 0.01). Multiple regression analysis showed an adequate fit for the model (F = 36.871, p < 0.001), where adaptation to virtual academic media (β = 0.114, p < 0.05) and workload (β = -0.526, p < 0.01) are variables that predict professional self-efficacy (adjusted R2 = 0.306).

Conclusions: Adaptation to virtual academic media and workload predict professional self-efficacy in university health teachers.