The Role of Teachers' Self-Efficacy in Curbing the School Bullying among Primary School Students in Itang Special District, Gambella, Ethiopia

This study examined the effectiveness of a targeted intervention designed to enhance teachers’ classroom management and bullying intervention skills, with a particular focus on the role of self-efficacy in the Itang Special District. Utilizing a mixed-methods design, the baseline stage integrated both qualitative and quantitative approaches, while the intervention phase relied solely on quantitative methods. Participants included teachers from grades 5 to 7, selected from 11 schools using stratified sampling to ensure broad district representation. A total of 55 teachers were involved in the baseline phase, 30 participated in the pilot study (r = 0.99), and 32 (16 males, 16 females) engaged in the intervention phase. During the intervention, four schools were selected where participating teachers first completed a questionnaire assessing self-efficacy and attitudes toward bullying. They then received targeted, skill-based training focused on improving their ability to respond to bullying incidents. Post-training, teachers completed the same questionnaire to assess any changes. Results revealed that teachers with higher self-efficacy were more proactive in addressing bullying, with female teachers reporting significantly higher self-confidence than males. Although the training yielded some improvement in self-efficacy, the statistical significance of these gains was limited, suggesting the influence of additional internal or external factors. These findings highlight the complex nature of self-efficacy and its impact on intervention behavior, emphasizing the importance of sustained, comprehensive training strategies. Future research should explore alternative or extended interventions to determine more effective methods for supporting teachers in fostering safe and responsive classroom environments.