Mastery Teachers: How to Build Success for Each Student in Today’s Classrooms

Abstract

The purpose of this mixed methods research study was to investigate the efficacy of master teachers (n=60) and analyze the factors which support their success motivating and instructing P-12 students and effectively managing the classroom. The research design of this case study used an exploratory sequential mixed methods design (Creswell, 2015). The Teacher Self Efficacy Scale (TSES) (long form) sought to discover the capabilities teachers perceive having related to student engagement, instructional strategies, and classroom management (Tschannen-Moran & Hoy, 2001). Participant teachers were interviewed through one-to-one conversation, to verify and enrich the findings (Bogdan &; Biklen, 2007) produced by the TSES. Our findings suggest master teachers are passionate about teaching; however, struggle at times with learners who have learning difficulties and off task behavior. Building relationships and developing social emotional skills is one of the most powerful tools for empowering students leading to their success. We also found efficacious teachers engage students in learning by relating to the real world, connecting to student interests, setting clear expectations, and establishing routines.