Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

Program Evaluation Of Bridges To Success Program, Michael Cory

Education Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the alternative education model, the Bridges to Success Program, and the program’s impact on teachers teaching within the program in a middle school in the Upstate of South Carolina. The Bridges to Success Program was initiated in September 2009 for at-risk students in eighth grade with a history of poor attendance, behavior issues, and low math and reading academic performance.

The evaluation model used was the Logic Model. The research questions set the framework for this study. Research questions focused on short-term outcomes that evaluated how teacher knowledge of …

Technology Self-Efficacy Beliefs Of Ninth-Grade Students After One Year Of One-To-One Initiative Implementation, Adrianne Nicole Mcgee

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation was designed to gather data regarding the self-efficacy beliefs of ninth graders after experiencing the one-to-one technology initiative for 1 school year. The goal was to obtain information based on the experiences of the students in order to enlighten leaders of other schools and districts when implementing their own technology initiatives. Students, teachers, and administrators were all surveyed regarding the initiative and perceived experience. A focus group of eight students was conducted in order to gather more data regarding the answers to the survey questions. After focus group data were interpreted, three student interviews were held to gather …

General Education Teacher Perceptions Of Self-Efficacy Regarding Teaching Students With Autism In Inclusion Settings, Jennifer H. Condrey

Education Dissertations and Projects

With an increase in the number of children being diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder comes an increase in students with autism being integrated into regular education classrooms. While general education teachers strongly support inclusion, they do not feel prepared to implement inclusion practices in their classrooms. This dissertation was designed to gauge perceptions of self-efficacy among K-5 general education teachers in regards to teaching students with autism in inclusion settings. The researcher conducted digital surveys and personal interviews among K-5 regular education teachers who had inclusion experience with students with autism. Teacher perceptions were measured in the areas of preparedness, …

Changing Expectations, Same Perspective: Pre-Service Teachers’ Judgments Of Professional Efficacy, Graham Hardy, David Spendlove, Damien Shortt

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This two-part study tracks and measures the professional self-efficacy judgements of two cohorts of pre-service teachers (PST). In Part One, the GTCE’s Code of Conduct and Practice (GTCE, 2009) was used to help form an instrument which tracked changes in the professional self-efficacy judgements of 211 PST through a one-year graduate program. Judgements were sought from PST both about themselves, and importantly, also about practicing teachers in the profession. In Part Two, statements making up the new DfE Teaching Standards (DfE, 2011) were similarly used to form an instrument and used with a subsequent cohort of 416 PST. Outcomes showed …

Self-Efficacy, Locus Of Control, And Parental Involvement On Students' Academic Achievement, Helen Faye Clay-Spotser

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Minority students are lagging behind their non-minority peers in academic achievement. Compounding this problem is the lack of research on minority students' perceptions on their connections to school, their feelings of autonomy, and their relationship with their parents. These variables are important considerations in this problem, as Ryan and Deci's self-determination theory suggests a strong relationship between student performance in school and students' perceptions of their intrinsic and extrinsic motivators. To address that gap, this cross-sectional, quantitative research study examined the relationship between minority high school students' perceived self-efficacy, locus of control, and parents' educational involvement on their self-reported academic …

The Relationship Between Self-Efficacy And Employee Commitment Among Perfusionists, Gilbert F. Garcia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Certified clinical perfusionists (CCPs) operate a variety of complex, invasive devices to provide heart-lung support. Job-related stress has been identified as having unfavorable influences on self-efficacy and commitment of employees in many domains, but this relationship has not been examined among CCPs. Guided by self-efficacy theory and organizational commitment model, the purpose of this study was to investigate whether a relationship exists between self-efficacy and commitment among CCPs and the extent to which age, gender, workload, experience, or education impacted CCPs' commitment. Data were collected from 264 respondents via 2 established survey instruments: the organizational commitment questionnaire and the work …

The Relationship Between University Learning Experiences And English Teaching Self-Efficacy: Perspectives Of Five Final-Year Pre-Service English Teachers, Ksenia Filatov, Shane Pill

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

No literature exists on English teaching efficacy or self-efficacy or on pre-service teachers’ English teaching self-efficacy and its relationship to pre-service teacher education. This project addressed this conceptual and methodological gap in current teacher efficacy research literature. Five pre-service English teachers in their final year of double degree Bachelor of Education/Bachelor of Arts teacher education programmes at an Australian university were interviewed about their self-efficacy for specific English teaching skills. Results suggest that the pre-service teachers see a significant relationship between their self-efficacy to teach English and their degree. The data suggests that the relationship between university learning experiences and …

Antecedents Of Teachers’ Educational Beliefs About Mathematics And Mathematical Knowledge For Teaching Among In-Service Teachers In High Poverty Urban Schools, Danya M. Corkin, Adem Ekmekci, Anne Papakonstantinou

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper examines the antecedents of three types of educational beliefs about mathematics among 151 teachers predominantly working in high poverty schools. Studies across various countries have found that teachers in high poverty schools are less likely to enact instructional approaches that align with mathematics reform standards set by national and international organizations. Researchers contend that for instruction to change, educational beliefs about mathematics and teaching must change. Regression analyses indicated that mathematics-teaching experience was associated with teachers’ self-efficacy for teaching mathematics at the onset of professional development and the number of mathematics college courses teachers had taken moderated their …

Changes In Science Teaching Self-Efficacy Among Primary Teacher Education Students, David Palmer, Jeanette Dixon, Jennifer Archer

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Abstract: Many preservice primary teachers have low self-efficacy for science teaching. Although science methods courses have often been shown to enhance self-efficacy, science content courses have been relatively ineffective in this respect. This study investigated whether a tailored science content course would enhance self-efficacy. The participants were preservice primary teachers and data collection was by survey and interview. Self-efficacy increased during the course and the increases were stable after a 10-month delay period. The factors that enhanced self-efficacy were: learning science content, perceptions of learning how to teach science, and teacher enthusiasm.

The Influence Of Homework On The Educational Experiences Of Sixth Grade Students From Low Socio-Economic Backgrounds: A Phenomenological Study, Richard Mccormick

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the influence homework has on the educational experiences of sixth grade students from low socio-economic backgrounds at a middle school in a rural county located in the western region of North Carolina. Eight sixth grade students provided a visual narrative pertaining to homework, and participated in individual and focus group interviews. The major themes to emerge were (a) motivation: teacher policies and practices, (b) family interaction: time and attention, (c) self-efficacy: emotional aspect, and (d) educational effects: short- and long-term. Recommendations for future research include replication of the study in …

Students’ Perceptions Of Academic Self-Efficacy And Self-Regulation While Learning In A 1:1 Laptop Environment, Joan M. Carraher

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Theses and Other Student Research

1:1 Laptop initiatives continue to grow throughout Nebraska schools. There are many questions regarding their effectiveness in improving student learning, justifications for expenses, and the process to guide such an initiative.

The purpose of this case study was to explore students’ perceptions of academic self-efficacy and self-regulation while learning in a 1:1 district where students in grades 7 through 12 have 24/7 access to a school-issued laptop. Students in their first (8^th grade) and third-year (10^th grade) of learning in a 1:1 environment at a Nebraska school district participated in this study. Data was collected from an online …

The Casual Approach To Teacher Education: What Effect Does Casualisation Have For Australian University Teaching?, Christopher J. Klopper, Bianca M. Power

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Universities in many countries are struggling to adapt to the competing forces of globalisation, new managerialism, entrepreneurialism and new technologies and quality agenda demands. Diminishing resources caused by restricted funding and an aging and diminishing academic workforce pose barriers. One solution to staffing shortages is the casualisation of academic teachers increasing causal or sessional teaching staff who take on significantly increased teaching responsibilities. This article explores the casualisation of university academics and reports on preliminary findings of a small scale sessional teacher development program that used data from a questionnaire on demographics of a small group of 22 sessional teaching …

Examining Elementary Teachers' Sense Of Efficacy In Three Settings In The Southeast, Steven Page, Beth Pendergraft, Judi Wilson

Journal of Inquiry and Action in Education

This study was conducted to investigate if teachers at urban, rural and suburban elementary schools differ significantly in their sense of self efficacy. The schools utilized for this research are located in the southeastern United States. Along with being in different geographic areas the schools are also different in their socioeconomic make-up and status. The Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy (TSES) created by Tschannen-Moran and Woolfolk Hoy, was utilized. The authors found that, overall, the teachers at the urban elementary school displayed significantly lower scores on the TSES than did the suburban and rural schools. The implications for further research are …

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 …

Solution-Oriented Teacher Understanding Of School Accountability And How It Influences Perceived Self-Efficacy: A Case Study, Yolonda Bankston

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how accountability requirements influenced teacher understanding self-efficacy at one high school located in Southern Mississippi. Research questions focused on teacher understanding of how accountability requirements influenced their self-efficacy, the strategies that teachers reported they used to develop solutions to improve self-efficacy, and how teachers reported that administrative support, student discipline, and workload influence their self-efficacy as well. The researcher used field notes, interviews, and an online focus group to collect data from a purposive sample of 10 teachers. Survey results indicated teachers possessed high levels of self-efficacy. Six themes emerged …

Physical Educators’ Efficacy In Utilising Paraprofessionals In An Inclusive Setting, Scott J. Pedersen, Paul D. Cooley, Clint R. Rottier

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Inclusion of students with disabilities (SwD) in Australian health and physical education (HPE) classes is on the rise. Reasonable adjustment to assist inclusive practice is often accomplished through the use of teaching assistants, or paraprofessionals. While this practice is commonly understood within the classroom, this approach remains obscure in the HPE setting. The purpose of this study was to explore how Australian HPE teachers utilise paraprofessionals when teaching SwD in inclusive environments. HPE teachers (N=14) completed an online questionnaire inquiring how paraprofessionals are being used and the strategies they are using to develop working relationships with paraprofessionals. The …

The Effects Of A Technology-Driven Science Application On Postsecondary Chemistry Student Achievement And Self-Efficacy, Darrell Byrum

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to establish if distinction exists in both student achievement and self-efficacy through the application of technology-based instructional approach in the laboratory environment of undergraduate chemistry courses. The achievement of 52 college students in the southeastern region of the United States was measured through one posttest assessment. Following this assessment, students were examined through a self-efficacy scale to determine preexisting thoughts of working in an undergraduate chemistry laboratory environment, as well as peer interaction. Accordingly, three separate college chemistry I courses were used to generate data via a nonequivalent control group design. From the three …

Effects Of A Sustained Federally Funded Science Professional Development Program On Elementary Teachers Who Teach Science, Sally Michelle Creel

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate how participation in a sustained professional development, the Math Science Partnership, improves teacher self-efficacy in science instruction and how it motivates teachers to incorporate elements of the training into their classroom instructional practices. This study considered the perspectives of forty-nine practicing elementary teachers as they participated in a sustained professional development over a two year period. This research study was intended to identify the most successful elements of the sustained professional development and their relationship to teacher self-efficacy in science.

The research design for this study was a case study. While case …

The Four Year Experience: Career Search Self-Efficacy Of New Graduates, Heather Maietta

Online Journal for Workforce Education and Development

Abstract

The author examines the relationship between the degree of participation in a mandatory, credit-bearing, four-year career development program and career search self-efficacy of college graduates using the Career Search Efficacy Scale (CSES). Solberg, Good, & Nord (1994) define career search self-efficacy as an individuals’ efficacy expectations regarding their ability to perform important activities associated with career search and selection. Descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlations, and regression analyses were performed. Results indicated there was a relationship between participation in a career development program and career search self-efficacy. Discussion of findings and recommendations for future research are provided.

A Phenomenological Investigation Into The Self-Efficacy Beliefs Of Teachers Who Have Persisted In The Teaching Profession, Shana Market Norton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological study investigated the lived experiences of 12 secondary school teachers from public secondary schools in northern Georgia regarding their feelings about self-efficacy and why they have persisted in the teaching profession. The research questions centered around their perceptions on how self-efficacy influences the academic achievement of their students, on what personality characteristics they feel teachers add to their positive or negative self-esteem in teaching, and on what factors they identify as influencing their professional self-efficacy in teaching. Teacher self-efficacy, the belief in oneself to succeed at completing a task, is a key factor in retaining teachers. Four data …

The Effects Of Collaborative Strategic Reading On Informational Text Comprehension And Metacognitive Awareness Of Fifth Grade Students, Margaret Mccown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the effects of Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR) on informational text comprehension and metacognitive awareness of fifth grade students. This study tested the theories of metacognition and social cognition with a focus on self-regulation and self-efficacy. Participating students included a heterogeneous mix of regular education students, students with disabilities, and English learners (ELs). Using a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest nonequivalent control group design, this study examined the effects of CSR on informational text comprehension using the Qualitative Reading Inventory-5 (QRI-5) and Georgia's Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (CRCT). Metacognitive awareness was measured using the Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategies Inventory (MARSI). Data …

Factors That Contribute To Burnout Among Elementary School Counselors, Yesenia Lopez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the relationship between elementary school counselors' self-efficacy, counselor-to-student ratio, and employment in a Title I school and burnout on the dimensions of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. This study also investigated which factor(s) (i.e., self-efficacy, counselor-to-student ratio, or employment in a Title I school) predicts burnout on the dimensions of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment among elementary school counselors. Data collected from 84 elementary school counselors were used to test four hypotheses. A significant positive relation was found between elementary school counselors' self-efficacy and personal accomplishment. Emotional exhaustion and depersonalization were not related to elementary …

Practicing And Preservice Teachers' Sense Of Efficacy For Character Education, Carolyn Lowe

Honors Scholar Theses

This study explored preservice and practicing teachers’ perspectives on their preparation to support students’ character development and their sense of efficacy in implementing classroom practices related to this area of education. The research questions framing the study were as follows: (1) What levels of efficacy around character education do practicing and preservice elementary teachers from the same teacher preparation program report? (2) How do efficacy levels differ between practicing and preservice teachers? (3) What influences on their efficacy for character education do practicing and preservice teachers report? The study involved a survey of 79 practicing and preservice teachers, with similar …

Impact Of Stress-Coping Strategies On Perceived Stress, Intrinsic Motivation, And Self-Efficacy Levels Of Students, Tanya M. Hudson

Education Dissertations and Projects

Impact of Stress-Coping Strategies on Perceived Stress, Intrinsic Motivation, and Self-Efficacy Levels of Students. Hudson, Tanya M., 2013: Dissertation, Gardner-Webb University, Stress/Coping/Adolescents/ Motivation/ Self-Efficacy/Stress-Coping Strategies Stress-coping strategies are identified by researchers as conditions used suitable to a situation when adolescents have a change in their environment or a stressor that they cannot control. The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the impact of stress-coping strategies on perceived stress levels, levels of intrinsic motivation, and self-efficacy. According to the research, stress results from an imbalance between the requirements of the environment and one's ability to cope with it (Aldwin, 2007). …

The Mediating Influence Of School Engagement Between An Adolescent's Contextual Environment And Academic Accomplishment, Najim Uddin Ahmed

Wayne State University Dissertations

The current study explored several contexts that may influence an adolescent's academic performance in school, including school engagement, parenting behaviors, teacher behaviors, peer relationships, and academic self-efficacy. The outcome of interest was academic performance.

Participants in this study were 332 ninth through twelfth grade high school students (159 males and 164 females) from a suburban public high school in the midwestern United States. The average age of the students was 16.5. The participants completed seven surveys to measure academic performance in school, including school engagement, parenting behaviors, teacher behaviors, peer relationships, and academic self-efficacy.

Mediational analyses were used to investigate …

Personal And Social Factors In Risk-Taking Behaviors Of Emerging Adults, Katherine A. Roeser

Wayne State University Dissertations

The transitional period from adolescence to young adulthood is defined as the stage of life that begins at the conclusion of high school and ends with the acceptance of adult roles (i.e., career, marriage, parenthood). The focus of the present study was on college students' excessive use of alcohol and other drugs and participation in high-risk sexual activity and the association between those behaviors and personal and social factors such as sensation seeking, peer influence, perceived general resistance to peer influence, perceived self-efficacy to resist risky behavior, and emotion regulation. The participants were 427 emerging- adult, undergraduate students 18 to …

How Is Teacher Self-Efficacy And Attitude Toward Technology Affected By Extended Intrusive Training?, Gregg Miles

Instructional Technology Education Specialist Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect that intrusive training has on teacher attitude and self-efficacy toward technology. Intrusive training was defined as making proactive steps on the part of the Instructional Technology Specialist to introduce teachers to new ideas, information and instruction through emails, social media, small groups and individual training sessions. A four and a half week intrusive training process was implemented with the treatment group and the results were compared to a control group. No statistical difference was found in the attitude and self-efficacy of the treatment group compared to the control group. Several …

Do Pre-Service Teachers Feel Ready To Teach In Inclusive Classrooms? A Four Country Study Of Teaching Self-Efficacy., Tim Loreman, Umesh Sharma, Chris Forlin

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper reports the results of an international study examining pre-service teacher reports of teaching self-efficacy for inclusive education; principally focusing on the explanatory relationship between a scale designed to measure teaching self-efficacy in this area and key demographic variables within Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, and Indonesia. The study builds on earlier work by this research team on attitudes towards inclusion and offers a more comprehensive picture of pre-service teachers’ preparedness to teach in inclusive classrooms. Data were collected from 380 pre-service teachers in four countries. Results indicated that strong international differences existed. Other factors impacting responses regarding teaching self-efficacy …

An Exploratory Study Of Teacher Empowerment And Technical Education In Kentucky, Lee Ann Wall

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between teachers’ perceptions of empowerment and principal use of power within career and technical education in Kentucky. The researcher posits that, with the continual process of educational reform, principals need to understand what empowers teachers to perform as additional expectations and responsibilities are being mandated.

The researcher used a mixed methods design to examine power bases that career and technical education teachers perceived were used by their principals to identify teachers’ perceived empowerment, as well as influencers and barriers. Data were collected with a survey and two open-ended questions from …

An Inquiry Approach To Reading Instruction: A Case Study Of The Relationship Between Instruction And Motivation, Tammy Turri-Scodeller

Dissertations

This research is a qualitative case study analysis of the experiences of five fifth grade students who were involved in a classroom, action research project. The purpose of this action research was to measure the impact of this method of instruction on reading motivation of the fifth grade class as a whole. From the action research project, five, individual, student cases were purposefully sampled for further in-depth analysis. The objective of the individual student case study analysis was to explain how the behaviors of five students with a low level of reading achievement, activity, and motivation changed, or did not …