Education Commons^™

Early Childhood Teachers' Perception Of Their Principal's Leadership And The Relationship On Their Own Job Satisfaction And Self-Efficacy, Maria F. Rincon

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if a correlation exists between Early Childhood teachers’ sense of job satisfaction and their sense of self-efficacy. Teachers in this study participated voluntarily and answered a set of questionnaires that collected data regarding their current opinions and perceptions of their school principal’s leadership, job satisfaction, and self-efficacy beliefs.

Influences On The Sources Of Teacher Self-Efficacy In A Lutheran School, Kimberly Lavado

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

Teacher self-efficacy influences teacher effectiveness and, in turn, affects student academic achievement. Improving teacher effectiveness can improve student achievement. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) measures student growth across the United States, and Lutheran schools consistently record strong achievement scores on NAEP. Exploring the influences on the sources of teacher self-efficacy in a Lutheran school can help deepen our understanding of the influences on teacher effectiveness. Guided by Bandura's social cognitive theory (1977), which asserts that an individual's belief in his ability to affect and control a desired outcome is impacted by mastery experience, vicarious experience, verbal persuasion, and …

An Ethnographic Investigation Into The Influence Of Bandura’S Four Psychological Sources Of Information On Late-Career Elementary Teachers’ Self-Efficacy, Ginger Prewitt

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this ethnographic investigation was to examine and describe the experiences that impact late-career elementary teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs based on A. Bandura’s four psychological sources of information and serves as part of a thematic dissertation with each researcher focusing in a different teacher career stage.

Methodology: Through qualitative methodology utilizing one-on-one interviews of elementary public school teachers with 24 or more years of experience, data was analyzed using the theoretical framework of A. Bandura’s four sources of self-efficacy information.

Findings: Analysis of data from interviews of 15 late-career elementary teachers from five school districts in Riverside County, …

Teacher Preparation Programs And Motivation Strategies For Student Achievement In Select Elementary Schools, Sharonne Denise Simmons

Education Dissertations and Projects

According to Ashton (1984), teacher self-efficacy can produce a prevailing paradigm in the field of education. Ashton stated that there is no other personality trait of teachers that has such a profound effect on student academic success. A teacher preparation program that has an aim of developing teacher self-efficacy and includes the important elements of motivating students, “should develop teachers who possess the motivation essential for effective classroom performance” (Ashton, 1984, p. 2). Teacher self-efficacy denotes the belief or discernment that one can perform tasks adequately to reach a desired goal (Bandura, 1997).

According to Bandura (1986), self-efficacy judgments are …

Why Do Girls Outperform Boys In School: A Qualitative Study Of Boy-Friendly Teaching, Teacher Efficacy And Practices, Renee Blair Clifford

Education Dissertations and Projects

This research study explored reasons why girls consistently outperform boys in the classroom, examining professional development teachers may have received, strategies teachers are implementing, and teacher’s self-efficacy in teaching boys. This was a qualitative study centered on the idea that boys do not perform as well in school as girls because teachers are not aware of learning differences or not designing instruction to address the unique learning needs of boys. This study took place at one South East elementary school.

Classroom Ready? Pre-Service Teachers’ Self-Efficacy For Their First Professional Experience Placement, Kang Ma, Michael S. Cavanagh

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This study investigates the level of teacher self-efficacy (TSE) among 90 secondary preservice teachers (PSTs) before their first teaching practice and the factors which influenced their ratings. The Scale for Teacher Self-Efficacy (STSE) (Pfitzner-Eden, Thiel, & Horsley, 2014) was adapted by adding some open-ended questions. Data were analysed via SPSS and NVivo separately. Results show a relatively lower level of TSE compared with previous research and classroom management was of greatest concern. PSTs reported factors such as lacking teaching experience, previous informal teaching and other relevant experience, teacher education program, personal qualities and characteristics, and teacher-student relationship. Implications, limitations, and …

To Participate Or Not To Participate In Education Research: A View From The Teacher’S Perspective, Jennifer Gans

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation was designed to identify factors that might explain teacher resistance versus teacher support for participation in education research. To that end, predictor variables suggested by both diffusion of innovations theory, as well as personality trait theories were examined as unique predictors of variability in attitudes toward adoption of participation in the research process. Furthermore, “exposure to research” was examined as another possible variable that may be uniquely associated with willingness to participate in research, beyond the other theoretically motivated variables. The researcher developed a survey instrument featuring four research vignettes that increased in demands for teacher participation. Each …

Teachers' Experiences That Influence Their Self-Efficacy To Foster Student Creativity, Kim K. Wilson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Creativity has been included in student learning and model teaching standards with little systematic attention on the preparedness of current practitioners to implement such expectations. This qualitative case study is conducted to discover what knowledge and skills teachers perceived to be necessary to implement practices that foster and develop student creativity with a strong sense of self-efficacy. A purposeful sample of 58 teachers from 4 Arkansas A+ (ARA+) network schools shared their perceptions of how creativity-fostering professional development (PD) influenced their sense of self-efficacy to foster creativity and answer the research questions. Data were collected using questionnaires, individual interviews, and …

Common Core State Standards’ Influences On Teacher Self-Efficacy And Instructional Practices For Students With Learning Disabilities, Tina O'Neal

Wayne State University Dissertations

This study uses survey data to assess the influences of Common Core State Standards on teacher self-efficacy. Participants in this study included African-American teachers (who taught at least one special education student) from an online network that hosts approximately 153,000 members from across the United States. A convenience sample of 156 teachers participated in the survey, and 124 participants met criteria.

The survey included the Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale Survey. The survey was comprised of three subscales, which included Efficacy in Student Engagement, Efficacy in Instructional Strategy Practices, and Efficacy in Classroom Management. Demographic information was also collected.

A One-Way ANOVA …

Will Teachers Implement Instruction Aligned To The Common Core State Standards?: Utilizing A Predictive Model, Audrey Lynn Harper

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) as a predictive model for secondary (i.e., grades six through twelve) teachers’ intent to implement instruction aligned to the Common Core State Standards. Two differing TPB models were investigated utilizing a regression analysis. The first model included TPB elements including attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control (i.e., self-efficacy) while the second model included two additional measures including perceived knowledge and accurate knowledge. Because a measure for secondary teachers’ sense of efficacy for literacy instruction did not exist to measure the construct in …

Exploring The Leadership Necessary To Develop Teacher Efficacy For Working With Marginalized Students In Support Of Improved Student Success: Helping Teachers Develop Both The Skill And The Will To Do So, Diane C. Charles

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

My OIP examines the leadership essential for principals to develop teacher efficacy in working with marginalized student populations. Data suggests disconnects between a District vision of success for all and actual student success rates of marginalized students. Research shows that teacher self-efficacy (TSE) and collective teacher efficacy (CTE) correlates directly to student success. Ignoring efficacy as a construct when working to develop teachers is something that must not continue. Principals have a lead role to play.

Research on efficacy identifies instructional and transformational leadership practices by principals as influential. Efficacy is a contextual construct. As such, I share an integrated …

Change In Teacher Efficacy As A Result Of Collaborative Literacy Coaching, Kathleen S. Howe, Arlene L. Barry

Journal of Educational Research and Innovation

The purpose of this qualitative multiple participant case study was to understand the impact of a nine month collaborative literacy coaching (CLC) initiative on middle and high school content teachers’ sense of efficacy for literacy teaching. The CLC design used here consisted of a required three-hour weekly cadre session that incorporated brainstorming, implementation and reflection of strategies and routines used. An after school study group, one-on-one coaching and “field trip” opportunities were available and used as well. Data including transcripts of weekly cadres meetings, individual interviews, and initial and followup questionnaires allowed three teachers to describe how the CLC initiative …

Teacher Self-Efficacy, Instructional Practices, And Student Achievement In Mathematics: A Correlational Study, Kristi Lynn Day

Education Dissertations and Projects

This mixed-methods research examined teacher self-efficacy in mathematics and the use of specific mathematical instructional practices in Grades 3-5 classrooms. The purpose was to examine the relationships among teacher self-efficacy of teaching mathematics, the use of specific mathematical instructional practices, and student achievement as measured by the North Carolina end-of-grade test. According to the National Mathematics Advisory Panel (2008), differences in students’ mathematical achievement are credited to differences in teacher characteristics including their self-efficacy in teaching and use of specific instructional practices. The study sought to add to the research behind that finding.

Correlational relationships among the variables were studied. …

Teacher Self-Perceptions And Student Academic Engagement In Elementary School Mathematics., Kathleen M. Cash

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between elementary students’ academic engagement in mathematics and their teachers’ self-perceptions in mathematics. Early success in mathematics is seen as crucial for later success academically and professionally. Framed in Social Cognitive Theory this study sought to build on past research studies, which have found that student affective characteristics such as academic engagement, comprised of both behavioral and emotional engagement, vary across genders and ability levels. This study sought to use a number of control and independent variables to examine academic engagement in students and the relationship of that engagement to teachers’ mathematics self-concept and teaching …

The Preparation And Self-Efficacy Of Teachers Of Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disabilities, Claire F. Higgins

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Inadequate preparation, combined with challenging work conditions, contribute to the shortage of skilled special educators in the United States (Levenson, 2011). Because teacher quality is linked to student achievement (Darling-Hammond, 2001), the discrepancy in access to qualified teachers has remained a serious issue, particularly for students with emotional and behavioral disabilities (EBD), whose intensive needs present great obstacles to learning. Although the research identifies strong content knowledge and social emotional competence as critical skills for educators (Bridgeland, Bruce, & Hariharan, 2012; Shulman, 1986), current standards for licensure (as they apply to EBD teachers) largely overlook these attributes (Massachusetts Department of …

Development Of A Self-Efficacy Scale For Teachers Who Teach Kids With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Abigail M. A. Love

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

This study aimed to measure teachers’ self-efficacy for teaching students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Teacher self-efficacy refers to the belief teachers hold about their ability to affect student learning and has been shown to change teachers’ motivation, stress levels, and amount of given effort (Klassen, Tze, Betts, & Gordon, 2011). Numerous studies have dealt with the measurement of this construct and developed measures that assess teachers in different domains and populations; however, only one study (Ruble, Toland, Birdwhistell, McGrew, & Usher, 2013) has attempted to measure within the population of students with ASD. The purpose of the current study …

Math Teachers' Experiences Learning And Teaching Math, Kathryn Couch

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

In a charter school in the Southwest United States, elementary students were struggling to

attain proficiency in math and have been failing to meet the standards in math on the

Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards test. As a result, these students may not have

been prepared for more advanced math courses as they continued their schooling, and this

failure to attain proficiency in math may continue to impact the school's ability to make

adequate yearly progress. The purpose of this explanatory case study was to explore the

perspectives of elementary math teachers toward teaching math, their preparation to teach …

Relationship Between Teacher Inquiry Science Instruction Self-Efficacy And Student Achievement, Grace Hanners

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Standardized test data indicate that student achievement in science is a problem both nationally and locally. At the study site, only a small percentage of fifth-grade students score at the advanced level on the Maryland state science assessment (MSA). In addition, the performance of African American, economically disadvantaged, and special education students is well below that of the general student population. Some studies have shown that teacher self-efficacy affects student achievement. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between fifth-grade teacher inquiry science instruction self-efficacy scores and the scores of their students on the MSA. Bandura's …

Factors That Contribute To Resilience Of Early Care And Education Teachers, Nefertiti Bruce Poyner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a lack of understanding of how teachers in Early Care and Education (ECE) work to overcome occupational stress and burnout. Many investigators have documented the stress and burnout that often result in high levels of attrition in ECE teachers. The purpose of this study was to determine to what degree a teacher's protective factors help in mitigating the experiences of stress and burnout often associated with working as a teacher in the field of ECE. Guided by Werner's theory of resilience, which highlights the importance of protective factors as a means of overcoming risk factors, the research questions …

Effects Of A Music Literacy Integration Intervention On Teachers’ Self-Efficacy And Proactive Attitudes Toward Music Integration In Classroom Instruction, Mary Louise Keyloun Cruz

Theses and Dissertations

With the adoption of the common core state standards, pressure to raise the achievement of young learners was intense. Classroom teachers were scrutinized to teach lessons with high levels of thinking and rigor. Teachers were inclined to eliminate or ignore artsenriched lessons that would benefit students. The reason for this action was associated with the efficacy of the classroom teacher toward music integration in literacy curriculum. The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of the Music Literacy Integration Intervention (MLII) on the self-efficacy and proactiveness of teachers at a small elementary school in Florida toward integration of …

Change In Perceived Teacher Self-Efficacy Of Agricultural Educators After A Greenhouse Management Workshop, Shari R. Dutton

Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development

Agricultural educators encounter unique teaching challenges as they teach applications of plant production in the greenhouse classroom. The teacher self-efficacy construct has been used broadly to link student learning outcomes to teachers' beliefs in their ability to attain certain instructional goals in the classroom. Few studies have used this construct to examine teacher-efficacy in the greenhouse classroom. This study uses the teacher self-efficacy construct within the agricultural educator domain. It seeks to measure change in agricultural educator self-efficacy beliefs using established self-efficacy scales to determine if a professional development experience in greenhouse operation and management effects educator beliefs in their …

An Analysis Of Variance In Teacher Self-Efficacy Levels Dependent On Participation Time In Professional Learning Communities, Megan D. Marx

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this study was to determine variance in mean levels of teacher self-efficacy (TSE) and its three factors – efficacy in student engagement (EIS), efficacy in instructional strategies (EIS), and efficacy in classroom management (ECM) – based on participation and time spent in professional learning communities (PLCs). In this cross-sectional study, 123 teachers from two similarly profiled high schools in one, New Jersey urban public school district were surveyed using the Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale (Tschannen-Moran and Hoy, 2001). An independent sample t test was used to measure variance in mean levels of TSE, ESE, EIS, and …

Enriching Teacher Self-Efficacy Through A Support Centric Evaluation Model: A Mixed Methods Study Of Team's Impact On Teacher Self-Efficacy, Elizabeth Marie Norton

Doctoral Dissertations

The effectiveness of teacher evaluation systems is determined by the extent to which they can support improved instructional practice. Research suggests that implementation factors such as attitudes of school leaders (Kimball & Milanowski, 2009), perceptions of fairness (Delvaux, Vanhoof, Tuytens, Vekeman, Devos, & Petegem, 2013), the relationship of the evaluator and the teacher (Weber, 1987), and the quality of the feedback provided can all impact the effectiveness of the evaluation system (Conly & Glasman, 2008; Danielson, 2012; Delvaux et al., 2013; Weber, 1987). This mixed methods study attempted to determine the extent to which these implementation characteristics occurring within the …

Catch The Bus: Investigating The Correlations Between Teacher Collaborative Action-Taking And Self-Efficacy, Tara B. Brandt

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the correlations between particular teacher collaborative actions and teachers’ sense of self-efficacy. Additionally, descriptive analyses provided a snapshot of current collaborative action-taking across US schools, and elucidated teachers’ present sense of self-efficacy. This study utilized existing data from the 2013 Teaching and Learning International Survey (sponsored by the OECD), which was completed by 1,926 lower secondary teachers from just over 120 different American schools. Multivariate correlational analysis confirmed that frequency of US teachers’ participation in collaborative actions significantly correlated to higher levels of teacher self-efficacy. Actions with the highest correlations included: taking …

Self-Efficacy In Teaching Chinese As A Foreign Language In Australian Schools, Zhu Chen, Alexander S. Yeung

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Participating in a research-oriented teacher education program, 20 university graduates from China were invited to teach Chinese as a foreign language in western Sydney schools and conducted teacher research for one and half years. By analysing their research on their own teaching through a qualitative approach, this study attempted to identify the factors that influenced their self-efficacy in teaching Chinese as a foreign language in an English-speaking school system. Influential factors identified in this research include teacher factors, student factors and contextual factors. Findings of this research have implications for foreign language teacher education.

Investigation Of School Professionals' Self-Efficacy For Working With Students With Asd : Impact Of Prior Experience, Knowledge, And Training, Laura Corona

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

School professionals who work with students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) play a significant role in the academic experiences of these students (Ruble & McGrew, 2013). Unfortunately, some evidence suggests that teachers of students with ASD experience a high risk of burnout (Coman et al., 2013), due in part to the multiple challenges associated with teaching students with ASD (Iovannone, Dunlap, Huber, & Kincaid, 2003). Research has begun to examine factors that ameliorate or prevent teacher burnout, including teacher self-efficacy, or teachers’ beliefs regarding their abilities to bring about positive outcomes for their students (Ruble, Usher, & McGrew, 2011). The …

The Impact Of Instructional Rounds Professional Development On Teacher Self-Efficacy, Melessa B. Widener

Education Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of instructional rounds professional development on teacher self-efficacy. The scope of this study was a qualitative case study including interviews with teachers who had participated in instructional rounds professional development in a rural district in the foothills of North Carolina. The methodology included interviews with two teacher leaders from all elementary schools implementing Responsiveness to Instruction (RtI) and teachers at the Early College who participated in instructional rounds professional learning through the New Schools Project. The findings include teachers' quotes from the transcriptions of the interviews as supporting the research …

Preparing Teachers Of Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders: Evidence-Based Practices And Teacher Self-Efficacy, Jane E. Strong

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

PREPARING TEACHERS OF STUDENTS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER: EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES AND TEACHER SELF-EFFICACY

By Jane E. Strong

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2014

Major Director: Evelyn Reed, Ph.D., Associate Professor

Department of Special Education and Disability Policy

School of Education

There is a need for intensified, rapid, and special emphasis on training of teachers for students on the autism spectrum (NRC, 2001). The current movement in the field emphasizing the use of evidence-based practices in designing instructional methods should be emphasized …

The Relationship Between Shared Leadership, Teacher Self-Efficacy, And Student Achievement, Anjanette Fuller Zinke

Dissertations

Decisions about ways to improve student achievement have been of concern over the years (Reeves, 2011). Multiple reforms have been attempted (Evers, 2000; Marzano, 2000), but researchers have differed in viewpoints on their effectiveness (Jennings & Rentner, 2006; Rose, 2010). State test scores in Mississippi have not risen to levels mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, and waivers have brought new challenges to districts (Ravitch, 2012). Administrators have to focus their attention in areas other than new programs and new personnel to correct the path of education (Coburn, 2001; Hargreaves & Macmillan, 1995; Sledge & Moorehead, …

Middle Level Mathematics Teachers’ Self-Efficacy Growth Through Professional Development: Differences Based On Mathematical Background, Tara Stevens, Zenaida Aguirre-Munoz, Gary Harris, Raegan Higgins, Xun Liu

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Profile analyses were used to investigate differences in the self-efficacy growth of teachers with more and less mathematics background as the teachers participated in professional development across two summers. Professional development activities were associated with increases in teachers’ self-efficacy; however, without considering mathematics knowledge for teaching, teachers with more math background tended to benefit more than those with less background. Nonetheless, teachers with less math background had higher levels of teacher self-efficacy although this gap was closed by the last measurement. Such considerations are important when designing professional development as teachers may have different needs based on specific characteristics such …