The Relationship between Teachers’ Instruction Style and Teaching Efficacy

South Korea has emphasized Learner-Centered Instruction (LCI) from elementary to secondary school education in the seventh national curriculum revisions. However, researchers claim that teacher-centered instruction is still commonly used in classrooms due to the competitive college-entrance exam system. Thus, the current study investigates the actual use of LCI compared to teacher-centered instruction by school level, and the relation between the use of LCI and teaching efficacy. Using the data from The Study on the Actual Status and the Quality in School Education in Korea, this study applied correlation analysis. The results indicate that 1) elementary school teachers tend to use LCI more than middle and high school teachers, and 2) At all school levels, teaching efficacy was positively related to teachers' use of LCI, This study provides implications for teacher education: 1) More support is needed for secondary school teachers to use more LCI; and 2) Teacher educators should focus more on teaching efficacy as an important factor in teacher professional development programs because of its positive relevance to teachers' use of LCI.