Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Research Articles

Mathematics teaching efficacy belief of preschool teachers of Hawassa city in Ethiopia

The ability of a teacher to plan and carry out the required actions to achieve desired results is known as teacher effectiveness. Although views and subject matter expertise, particularly when teaching mathematics, are key determinants in teachers' ability to teach pupils effectively. This study uses the Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (MTEBI), adapted and translated into Ethiopian Amharic, to ascertain preschool teachers' efficacy views towards early math teaching in Hawassa City. Participants in the research were teachers who work in both public and private preschools in Hawassa City. Forty-four preschool teachers participated in the data collection. The results showed that there is a low belief in the efficacy of teaching early math, and the majority of participants were unsure or uncertain about teaching early math effectively. There was no significant difference among KG teachers' efficacy beliefs on teaching beforehand early math in their time of experience. Also, there was a significant difference between private and public preschool teachers’ efficacy beliefs in teaching early math. Keywords: belief; efficacy; kindergarten teacher; math; teaching

Mediating Role of Mathematics Teaching Efficacy on the Relationship between Pedagogical Content Knowledge and Mathematics Teaching Anxiety

Effective education requires teaching efficacy, teaching anxiety, and teaching knowledge, all of which are essential elements. In-service mathematics teachers in the province of Quezon participated in this study to examine the role of mathematics teaching efficacy (MTE) as a mediator in the link between pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and mathematics teaching anxiety (MTA). 200 in-service mathematics teachers from the Division of Quezon participated in the study by completing a set of questionnaires that included the MTE Scale, MTA Scale, and PCK Scale. The study utilized a quantitative descriptive research design and a mediation analysis. As the main objectives of the study were identified through the problem statement, the researcher decided to adopt the research design as a tool that carried out the study and served as the blueprint to guide the study accordingly. The PROCESS macro was used to conduct mediation analysis to test the theoretical hypothesis. It was found that MTE performs a competitive complete moderating function in the association between PCK and MTA for in-service teachers. The statistics show that high PCK improves in-service teachers’ MTE while decreasing their MTA. Even though PCK predicts MTE, which predicts MTA in turn, further longitudinal and experimental investigations are required to fully comprehend this progression. MTE thus acts as a mediator in the connection between the PCK and MTA. Keywords: mathematics teaching anxiety, mathematics teaching efficacy, pedagogical content knowledge, mediation analysis via the process macro

Mediating Role of Mathematics Teaching Efficacy on the Relationship Between Pedagogical Content Knowledge and Mathematics Teaching Anxiety

Effective education requires teaching efficacy, teaching anxiety, and teaching knowledge, all of which are essential elements. In-service mathematics teachers in the province of Quezon participated in this study to examine the role of mathematics teaching efficacy (MTE) as a mediator in the link between pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and mathematics teaching anxiety (MTA). 200 in-service mathematics teachers from the Division of Quezon participated in the study by completing a set of questionnaires that included the MTE Scale, MTA Scale, and PCK Scale. The study utilized a quantitative descriptive research design and a mediation analysis. As the main objectives of the study were identified through the problem statement, the researcher decided to adopt the research design as a tool that carried out the study and served as the blueprint to guide the study accordingly. The PROCESS macro was used to conduct mediation analysis to test the theoretical hypothesis. It was found that MTE performs a competitive complete moderating function in the association between PCK and MTA for in-service teachers. The statistics show that high PCK improves in-service teachers’ MTE while decreasing their MTA. Even though PCK predicts MTE, which predicts MTA in turn, further longitudinal and experimental investigations are required to fully comprehend this progression. MTE thus acts as a mediator in the connection between the PCK and MTA. Keywords: mathematics teaching anxiety, mathematics teaching efficacy, pedagogical content knowledge, mediation analysis via the process macro

유아교사의 수학교수효능감이 유아의 수학적 태도에 미치는 영향: 수학적 상호작용의 조절효과를 중심으로

유아교사의 수학교수효능감이 유아의 수학적 태도에 미치는 영향: 수학적 상호작용의 조절효과를 중심으로

The Mediating Effect of Achievement Goal Orientation in the Effects of Pre-service Early Childhood Teacher’s Beliefs About Mathematic on Mathematics Teaching Efficacy

The Mediating Effect of Achievement Goal Orientation in the Effects of Pre-service Early Childhood Teacher’s Beliefs About Mathematic on Mathematics Teaching Efficacy

Diagnosis of Maths Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Using Expert System

Research on the design of an expert system to diagnose Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs (MTEB) using the Certainty Factor method was the first to be developed. The MTEB instrument was first initiated by Enoch and transformed into an expert system application using the paradigm of modified waterfall software development to sequential or sequential testing steps, ranging from analysis, design, coding, and testing. Data calculation and analysis using the certainty factor method assumes the user's choice is not exact and is at a certain interval. The weighting of expert values from MTEB items is carried out by two experts in the field of mathematics education. Meanwhile, the weight of user consultation uses five approval options, namely strongly agree, agree, simply agree, disagree, and disagree, successively represented by -0.2, -0.1, 0, 0.1, and 0.2. The results of the study gave success to each page of the diagnosis application, and the accuracy rate of the MTEB diagnosis was about 98%. The implication of this research is recommendations for related stakeholders to be followed up so that the MTEB of mathematics teachers becomes even better.

Pre-Service Primary Teachers’ Mathematics Teaching Efficacy on Entry to Initial Teacher Education

<p style="text-align: justify;">Mathematics teaching efficacy is an important construct as confidence in one’s ability to teach influences teaching practices. This paper explores pre-service primary teachers’ mathematics teaching efficacy on entry to initial teacher education and the extent that pre-tertiary mathematics experiences and resultant beliefs affected their mathematics teaching efficacy. A mixed-methods approach combined the Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument (N=420) and qualitative interviews (N=30). The findings suggest medium personal mathematics teaching efficacy among participants with limited conceptions of what mathematics teaching involves. While uncertain regarding their immediate teaching ability, participants reported confidence regarding their potential. Mathematics teaching outcome expectancy was high; however, an undercurrent of conviction exists that external factors, most notably learners’ natural mathematical ability, are critical to student learning.</p>

An Examination of Practice-Based Virtual Simulations and Pre-Service Mathematics Teaching Efficacy and Outcome Expectancy

Authentic practice in pedagogical approaches is essential for preparing teachers to design effective learning experiences that foster student engagement during this digital era. There is an opportunity to explore novel and effective designs of virtual experiences that may augment or better prepare preservice teachers for field placements in physical classrooms. We proffer that virtual classroom simulations can and should be further explored and leveraged, now more than ever. In this paper, we examined a model of the impact of perceptual variables on instructional effectiveness that can enhance teaching efficacy and outcome expectancy when preservice teachers engage in practice teaching experiences in a virtual classroom simulation. The relationships between perceptual variables (presence, instructional time, and engagement) and teaching efficacy and outcome expectancy, as they relate to instructional effectiveness, were analyzed using the structural equation modeling approach. The results supported all of the hypothesized relationships. For example, presence and instructional time strongly and positively influenced engagement. Engagement was strongly related to instructional effectiveness. Instructional effectiveness was strongly and positively related to teaching self-efficacy, as well as outcome expectancy. The results support that virtual world classroom simulations can be an effective space for practice teaching for prospective mathematics teachers. Furthermore, this study provides insights for teacher educators, developers, and instructional designers interested in designing and utilizing practice-based simulations.

Primary Preservice Teachers’ Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs: the Role Played by Mathematics Attainment, Educational Level, Preparedness to Teach, and Gender

This paper reports on research which explored the mathematics teaching efficacy beliefs of preservice primary teachers, where efficacy beliefs describe individuals’ beliefs in their potential to enact teaching to promote learning. Efficacy was conceptualised as a bi-faceted construct consisting of personal efficacy and outcome expectancy. This research sought to establish the extent to which differences in efficacy are explained by students’ mathematics attainment level prior to entry into teacher education; the educational level of the students (whether postgraduate or undergraduate); students’ sense of preparedness to teach mathematics on school placement; and students’ gender. A total of 186 students responded to a questionnaire designed to measure their efficacy beliefs after completing one taught mathematics education module in university and one teaching practice placement in primary schools. Bivariate and regression analysis pointed to complex relationships between the explanatory and outcome variables. On bivariate analysis, findings included statistically significant associations between gender, mathematics attainment, preparedness to teach, and one or both of personal efficacy and outcome expectancy. In the regression analysis, gender was statistically significantly associated with outcome expectancy, while preparedness to teach and mathematics attainment were statistically significantly correlated with personal efficacy. Personal efficacy and outcome expectancy were significantly correlated on bivariate analysis, but significance was not retained after controlling for other factors in the regression models. This research has implications for teacher educators in understanding factors explaining mathematics teaching efficacy and therefore helping to better prepare preservice teachers to teach mathematics in the primary school classroom.

Using a Mixed Methods Approach to Study the Relationship Between Mathematics Anxiety, Mathematics Teacher Efficacy, and Mathematics Teaching Anxiety in Preservice Elementary School Teachers in Ontario

Preservice elementary school teachers are under ever increasing pressure to deliver quality mathematics instruction to their students. Mathematics anxiety and mathematics teacher efficacy are constructs that are commonly measured in preservice elementary school teachers and are used to help identify future challenges these preservice teachers might have when teaching mathematics. Mathematics teaching anxiety is a relatively new construct measured in preservice elementary school teachers. Mathematics teaching anxiety aims to separate the anxiety experienced when doing mathematics from the anxiety experienced when teaching mathematics. This study used a modified version of an explanatory sequential mixed methods design to examine the relationship between mathematics anxiety, mathematics teaching anxiety, and mathematics teacher efficacy in preservice elementary school teachers in Ontario. Participants were preservice elementary school teachers across six teacher education programs in Ontario. Questionnaire data was gathered from 185 participants, 16 of whom were also interviewed. Results indicate that mathematics teaching anxiety is significantly correlated to both mathematics teacher efficacy and mathematics anxiety, but there was a lack of correlation between mathematics anxiety and mathematics teacher efficacy. These results indicate that mathematics teaching anxiety does interact with mathematics anxiety; however, mathematics teacher efficacy and the introduction of mathematics teaching anxiety may disrupt the previous belief that mathematics anxiety and mathematics teacher efficacy are negatively correlated. Furthermore, interview and short answer responses showed that preservice elementary school teachers who were mathematically anxious were aware of their anxieties and developed methods of overcoming their feelings while maintaining effective teaching practices.

REFLECTIVE THINKING AND INQUIRY SKILLS AS PREDICTORS OF SELF-EFFICACY IN TEACHING MATHEMATICS

This study aims to show to what extent the variables of reflective thinking, inquiry skill and mathematics teaching self-efficacy belief affect each other, to show their rates of explaining each other, and to show whether inquiry skill is a mediating variable in the relationship between reflective thinking and mathematics teaching self-efficacy belief. The data which were collected to test the hypotheses regarding the relationships to be shown were evaluated with structural equation modeling. A relational screening model was used in the research. The participants of the study were 304 prospective primary school teachers studying in their third and fourth years in the Basic Education Department of Education Faculties in two different state universities in Turkey. As data collection tools, the “Reflective Thinking Level Determination Scale”, “Inquiry Skills Scale” and “Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument” were used. According to the results of the study, reflective thinking affects mathematics teaching self-efficacy belief positively and significantly and explains it significantly. Reflective thinking affects inquiry skills positively and significantly and explains it significantly. Inquiry skill affects mathematics teaching self-efficacy belief positively and significantly. Reflective thinking and inquiry skill together explain mathematics teaching self-efficacy belief highly and significantly. Inquiry skill has a partial mediating effect between reflective thinking and mathematics teaching self-efficacy belief. Keywords: inquiry skill, mathematics teaching, prospective primary school teachers, reflective thinking, teacher education

Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Belief and Attitude of Pre-service Teachers and Academic Achievement

Given the importance of the beliefs and attitudes of the pre-service teachers, this research aims at studying the relation between mathematics teaching efficacy beliefs of pre-service teachers, their attitude towards mathematics and their mathematics academic achievement. Specifically, this work considers both factors together and studies their correlation with mathematics academic achievement. The Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (MTEBI) is used to measure the teachers’ efficacy beliefs of pre-service teachers. Besides, the Attitude towards Mathematics Scale (AMS) is used to rate students’ attitude towards mathematics. Participants are 57 pre-service teachers of the third year of the primary education degree. Students of third years of the bachelor’s degree were invited to answer the MTEBI and AMS. Obtained results reaffirm that both teachers’ efficacy beliefs and attitude towards mathematics are key factors for pre-service teacher’s mathematics academic achievement. Moreover, the two factors correlate moderately with one another. Furthermore, results manifest that Personal Mathematics Teaching Efficacy (PMTE) is the most determining subscale for academic achievement. It is evidenced the importance of strengthening both the pre-service teachers’ efficacy beliefs and the attitude towards mathematics.

Investigating Preservice Teachers’ Science and Mathematics Teaching Efficacy, Challenges, and Support

In this study, we explored early childhood and elementary preservice teachers’ science and mathematics teaching efficacy to elucidate pathways to improve teacher preparation programs. Quantitative survey and open-ended responses data were collected from 180 preservice teachers from four universities in the United States. Multilevel ANCOVA and regression suggested that the number of science and mathematics courses taken by preservice teachers was associated with teaching efficacy beliefs, but not with outcome expectancy. Together with evidence from open-ended responses, we argue that besides science and mathematics content courses, preservice teachers also need pedagogical knowledge, hands-on teaching experiences, specialized training opportunities (e.g., workshops), and teaching-related resources (e.g., curriculum, technology) in order to increase the confidence in their potential impacts on students’ science and mathematics learning.

Pre-Service Teachers’ Belief About the Efficacy of Their Mathematics Teaching: A Case Study

This paper studies the pre-service teachers’ mathematics teaching self-efficacy throughout the bachelor’s degree in Primary Education. Our hypothesis is that the mathematical courses included in the bachelor’s degree can influence their mathematics teaching self-efficacy. To carry out the study, pre-service teachers of each year of the Primary Education Degree answer the Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (MTEBI) at the end of the 2016-17 academic year. The MTEBI is comprised of two sub-scales, namely, Personal Mathematics Teaching Efficacy (PMTE) and Mathematics Teaching Outcome Expectancy (MTOE). Obtained results evidence a statistically significant difference (in positive) between the pre-teachers of the first and the last year of the bachelor’s degree in the PMTE subscale. Therefore, these results show that the three teaching and learning mathematics courses (TLM) included in the bachelor’s degree do change the students’ PMTE. Concretely, the second TLM course, which is connected to a student teaching practice period, really makes the difference. Scores obtained in the MTOE subscale, on the contrary, do not increase throughout the Degree. To sum up, this study shows that the Mathematical Curriculum of the bachelor’s degree can influence on the PMTE of the pre-teachers. Therefore, teacher educators should be aware of the importance of the Mathematical Curriculum and design the teaching and learning mathematics courses in order to promote the PMTE of the pre-teachers.

Effects of Teaching in a Summer STEM Camp on the Mathematics Teaching Self-efficacy of Highly Qualified Preservice Secondary Mathematics Teachers

Educational opportunity gaps experienced by students of color living in poverty, with accompanying lower levels of mathematics achievement, remain a roadblock to their access to college-level training in STEM fields. To address this problem, secondary teachers must be confident in their ability to share mathematics content effectively with students from cultures different than their own. Bridging the opportunity gap is more likely with two elements in place: intellectually stimulating pre-college experiences and community partnerships that establish connections between underserved neighborhoods and resource-filled environments such as university campuses.
 This study explored the effects of teaching in a four-week STEM summer camp for ethnically diverse, high-needs middle school girls on the teaching self-efficacy of highly-qualified preservice secondary mathematics teachers, a group that has been less studied than preservice elementary teachers. Participants were scholarship students in a federally-funded teacher preparation scholarship program at an urban, metropolitan university. Teaching self-efficacy was measured by the Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (MTEBI) and by follow-up qualitative analysis of questionnaire responses and focus groups. Participants’ gains on the MTEBI were significant for Personal Mathematics Teaching Efficacy, but not for Mathematics Teaching Outcome Expectancy. Qualitative analyses suggested that both instructional coaching and everyday interactions in a summer camp setting contributed strongly to the preservice teachers’ increased confidence about teaching mathematics to culturally diverse, high-needs learners.

Predicting Pre-service Mathematics Teachers’ Teaching and Learning Conceptions: The Role of Mathematical Beliefs, Mathematics Self-efficacy, and Mathematics Teaching Efficacy

Predicting Pre-service Mathematics Teachers’ Teaching and Learning Conceptions: The Role of Mathematical Beliefs, Mathematics Self-efficacy, and Mathematics Teaching Efficacy

Investigation of Mathematics Teachers’ Self-Efficacy in Teaching Mathematics in the COVID-19 Pandemic Process

Teachers’ beliefs about teaching mathematics have a great influence on students’ success in mathematics. In addition, teachers with high teaching efficacy beliefs create classroom environments where students can be more successful. In the light of this information, the importance of understanding mathematics teachers’ beliefs about their competence has to be considered in mathematics teaching. In this study, a relational survey model was used to examine secondary mathematics teachers’ efficacy beliefs about teaching mathematics in terms of some variables. The sample of the study consists of 165 mathematics teachers selected with the stratified sampling method. In this study, Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Belief Scale, developed by Enochs, Smith, and Huinker (2000) and adapted to Turkish by Takunyacı and Aydın (2013) was used. The first finding of our study is mathematics teachers’ beliefs about mathematics teaching were medium level. The second finding of our study is the personal mathematics teaching efficacy beliefs of male teachers were significantly higher than female teachers, while female teachers’ efficacy beliefs about outcome expectations in mathematics teaching were significantly higher than male teachers. The third finding of our study is efficacy beliefs of mathematics teachers working in private high schools about the outcome expectation in mathematics teaching were significantly higher than the mathematics teachers working in public high schools. In the last finding of our study, it was found that the personal mathematics teaching efficacy beliefs of mathematics teachers with professional seniority of 11 years or more were significantly higher than teachers with professional seniority of 0-5 years.

A Psychometric Analysis and Revision of the Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument Using the Rasch Model: Focusing on Personal Teaching Efficacy

The purpose of the study was to examine the psychometric properties of the personal teaching efficacy of the Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument and revise the scale for the use of Korean elementary school teachers. Data were collected from 299 elementary teachers. A Rasch analysis was used to evaluate unidimensionality and appropriateness of category use and item difficulty levels. Moreover, person separation and reliability as well as item separation and reliability were examined using the revised scale. Results suggested the original personal teaching efficacy scale (13 items with five categories) had several problems in its psychometric properties. Thus, we revised the scale into eight items with four categories. The results of the follow-up analysis show the revised scale provided sufficient psychometric properties for measuring Korean elementary school teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs for teaching mathematics. Limitations and implications of the study are also discussed.

Mathematics Teaching Self-Efficacy and Outcome Expectancy of Pre-Service and In-Service Primary Education Teachers

Background: Given the importance of studies the mathematics teaching self-efficacy and outcome expectancy of pre-service teachers, novice teachers (up to 10 years of experience) and experienced teachers (more than 10 years of experience), it is important to research the behaviour of the three groups proposed. Objectives: Compare the mathematics teaching self-efficacy and outcome expectancy of pre-service and in-service Primary Education teachers. Design: The Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (MTEBI) is used to carry out the study. The MTEBI comprises two subscales: Personal Mathematics Teaching Efficacy (or teaching self-efficacy) (PMTE) and Mathematics Teaching Outcome Expectancy (MTOE). Setting and Participants: The first group of participants consists of 419 pre-service teachers enrolled at the bachelor’s degree in Primary Education, the second group of participants consists of 69 novice teachers and the last group consists of 176 experienced teachers. Data collection and analysis: Students of all the years of the bachelor’s degree were invited to answer the MTEBI. Therefore, the participation was optional and completely anonymous. Directors of Primary Education schools in the city were sent the link of the survey during the second trimester of 2018-19 academic year. They shared the link so that novice and experienced teachers were able to answer it confidentially. Results: The comparison reveals that experienced teachers have the highest scores in PMTE subscale. The pre-service teachers, on the contrary, give the lowest scores in this subscale. In the MTOE subscale, the lowest values are obtained in the case of novice teachers. Additionally, the statistical analysis shows that there are significant differences between the three groups in both the PMTE and MTOE subscales. Conclusions: The findings of the current study provides information that would be useful for teacher educators to design or modify courses in order to enforce the mathematics teaching efficacy beliefs of pre-service and in-service Primary Education teachers.

Student-Teachers’ Beliefs towards Learning Mathematics and Beliefs of Mathematics Teaching Efficacy and their Relation to their Perception of the Development of Pupils’ Understanding of Mathematics

The present study aimed at investigating the student-teachers’ beliefs towards learning mathematics, and beliefs of mathematics teaching efficacy and their relation to their perception of the development of pupils’ understanding of mathematics. Three measures were used in this study: The beliefs towards learning mathematics, the mathematics teaching efficacy beliefs, and the mathematics teacher's perception of the development of pupils’ understanding. Validity and reliability were established. A sample of student-teachers participated in the study. The results of the study showed that the more the positive student-teachers’ beliefs towards learning mathematics, the greater their mathematics teaching-efficacy was. Similarly, the greater the positive student-teachers’ belief towards learning mathematics, the more they become aware of the development of pupils’ understanding of mathematics. Finally, increasing the teaching efficacy of mathematics student-teachers was associated with an increase in their perception of the development of pupils’ understanding of mathematics. Both beliefs and teaching efficacy explained significant variance in the perception of their pupils’ understanding of mathematics.