Relationship Between Home Economics Teachers’ Self-Efficacy and Instructional Quality in Niger State Secondary Schools

This study examines the relationship between Home Economics teachers' self-efficacy beliefs and the quality of their classroom instruction in secondary schools in Niger State, North Central Nigeria. Teacher self-efficacy, defined as a teacher's belief in their capacity to execute instructional behaviours that produce desired student outcomes, is a robust psychological predictor of instructional quality and student engagement. The study adopts a cross-sectional analytical design, targeting 200 Home Economics teachers in public secondary schools across Minna, Bida, and Suleja senatorial districts. Data were collected using the Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale and a validated Instructional Quality Observation Checklist, with classes observed by trained raters. Objectives include measuring teacher self-efficacy levels across instructional strategies, classroom management, and student engagement dimensions, and quantifying their relationship with observed instructional quality scores. Analytical methods include multiple regression, Pearson correlation, and structural equation modelling. The Social Cognitive Theory anchors the study, positioning self-efficacy as a key mediator of teacher performance. Recent literature from northern Nigeria confirms that teachers with high instructional self-efficacy are significantly more likely to use diverse pedagogical strategies and maintain productive classroom environments. Findings are expected to reveal that self-efficacy in content delivery and student engagement are the strongest predictors of instructional quality. Recommendations address the Niger State Teaching Service Commission and teacher professional development programmes. Keywords: teacher self-efficacy, instructional quality, Home Economics, secondary schools, Niger State.