Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument 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

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>

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.

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.

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.

Teachers’ Efficacy Beliefs in Mathematics Teaching: A Study of Public Primary Schools in Sarawak

The Ministry of Education in Malaysia has voiced concern over the serious problems of underachieving primary school students in Mathematics. While the Ministry is gearing its education direction towards a new generation of STEM experts, the teachers have been assigned to shoulder the movement of the vision. Hence, their views must be understood. A study was conducted among 66 Mathematics teachers from 39 public primary schools in the sub-urban district of Samarahan inMalaysia to understand their mathematics teaching efficacy. The Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument (MTEBI) by Enochs, Smith and Huinker (2000) was adapted and used in the data collection. Quantitative data analysis methods include descriptive statistics and the analysis of variance. The results indicated that the teachers were confident of their efficacy in Mathematics teaching. Specifically, the teachers’ personal efficacy was slightly lower than outcome expectancy. In addition, there was a moderate positive significant relationship between teachers’ personal efficacy and outcome expectancy. Gender, years of Mathematics teaching experience and highest education attained were not significant to teachers’ efficacy.

USING ROBOTICS AND ENGINEERING DESIGN INQUIRIES TO OPTIMIZE MATHEMATICS LEARNING FOR MIDDLE LEVEL TEACHERS: A CASE STUDY

This exploratory case study reports findings on 20 middle-level science and mathematics teachers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of a one-year project in which teachers engaged in using robotics and engineering design inquiries in their classrooms. Principled by Bandura’s Social Learning Theory (SLT) and using mixed methods approaches, the study measured teachers' efficacy through the Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (MTEBI) and observation logs before and after the program. The results of this study showed statistically significant differences between PRE MTEBI and POST MTEBI scores. Furthermore, five themes emerged that illuminated potential affordances and constraints that teachers perceive as opportunities and barriers to employing robotics and design thinking in the mathematics/science classrooms. The reported themes are creating collaborative spaces underpinned by design thinking affords transformative learning; problem-solving through shared inquiry elevates confidence; building connections between mathematical concepts and real-life phenomenon supports a willingness to learn new ideas; system support, resources, and funding are prerequisites to engage in modeling design; and designated curriculum restrains teachers from engaging in extra activities that focus on design thinking.

Greek Pre-Service Primary Teachers’ Efficacy Beliefs in Science and Mathematics Teaching: Initial Adaptation of the STEBI-B and MTEBI Instruments

<p style="text-align:justify">Contemporary educational reforms, both in the fields of science and mathematics, highlight the importance of pre-service teachers’ preparation with regard to several meaningful standards. However, teachers’ own self-confidence in science and mathematics teaching are likely to influence their efforts. Framed within a growing body of research focusing on pre-service teachers’ efficacy beliefs in science and mathematics teaching, the present study attempts to investigate Greek pre-service primary teachers’ efficacy beliefs in science and mathematics teaching; and further examine whether there is a relationship between the two. Participants comprised 171 pre-service primary teachers, who were in their second (n = 55), third (n = 64) or fourth year (n = 52) of study and the majority were female (n = 148). Pre-service teachers were asked to complete a questionnaire consisting of the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument - Form B (STEBI-B) and the Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (MTEBI). Principal component analyses and reliability analyses were performed for both instruments to examine their adaptation into Greek. According to the results, preservice teachers had medium to high scores in the personal efficacy and outcome expectancy scales, for both science and mathematics teaching. Minor differences in pre-service teachers’ scores were detected according to their year of study. Furthermore, pre-service teachers’ efficacy beliefs in science were strongly correlated with their efficacy beliefs in mathematics. In general, although pre-service teachers appeared to be confident and well-prepared to teach science and mathematics in classrooms, more effort is required to put the international education reform standards into practice.</p>

Math and Technology Leadership Academy: Impact on Mathematics Teacher Sense of Efficacy

The Math and Technology Leadership Academy (MTLA) was a three-year initiative awarded by Toyota USA Foundation to advance elementary teachers’ instructional techniques in mathematics, leadership, and technology. Over the three years, fourteen teacher participants of grade levels spanning from kindergarten through sixth grade engaged in three mathematics pedagogy courses and monthly seminars. Teacher participants then implemented the innovative math strategies into their classrooms. This paper will discuss the design of MTLA and the research plan and results. The study found significant results from the Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument (MTEBI) in the Self-Efficacy construct. After three years of participation in MTLA, the teachers in the MTLA demonstrated significantly higher self-efficacy than their control teacher of elementary mathematics; however, both groups of teachers demonstrated similar beliefs about outcomes expectations or the belief that effective mathematics instruction can affect student learning outcomes.

Validación de la escala de creencias de eficacia en la enseñanza de la matemática (ECEEM) y caracterización de las creencias de estudiantes de pedagogía básica

Considering the relevance of preservice teachers possessing positive beliefs of their future efficacy as teachers and the absence of validated instruments to measure this construct in Chile, this research generated a convergent and factorial validation of the Escala de Creencias de Eficacia en la Ensenanza de la Matematica (ECEEM), the adapted version in Spanish of the Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument (MTEBI), validated in the United States, in 2000. The sample was comprised of 945 preservice elementary school teachers studying in 14 universities from 5 regions corresponding to northern, central and southern Chile. The results indicate that ECEEM showed a good level of discrimination, an adequate adjustment to the proposed theoretical structure, a high reliability and a significant correlation with the expected variables.Thus, it serves as a reliable instrument to measure the mathematics teaching efficacy beliefs of preservice primary education teachers. In descriptive terms, the preservice teachers showed positive efficacy beliefs, though not completely satisfactory, since a significant group doubt the possibility of producing meaningful learning opportunities for their students.

The Emphasis of Inquiry Instructional Strategies: Impact on Preservice Teachers’ Mathematics Efficacy

Using a Mixed Methods approach, this study investigated changes in levels of self-efficacy among elementary preservice teachers following a semester course on teaching elementary students’ mathematics. Participants in this study included 347 preservice elementary teachers at a mid-size regional university who had just completed an elementary mathematics methods course. The data were collected from several semester groups. The instruments used were the Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument, interview data, and observation data collected during the clinical experience. The focus of this study was to compare the changes in teacher self-efficacy following a methods course that emphasized hands-on mathematics instruction with manipulatives by means of the 5E instructional format. The results of the paired-samples t-test indicated that there was a significant difference in the preservice elementary teachers’ self-efficacy for teaching mathematics after engaging in the elementary methods course. Preservice teachers reported that their understanding of various instructional practices changed significantly from a “tell, show, and do” model to an approach utilizing interactive and engaging activities. They also reported that their attitude toward mathematics had improved significantly and that there had been a direct impact on their confidence for teaching mathematics as a result of the structure of the elementary math methods course.

A Cross-sectional Study on the Self-Efficacy of Pre-service Science and Mathematics Teachers in a Philippine State University

This study investigated the self-efficacy levels of pre-service science and mathematics teachers in a Philippine state university. A total of 172 pre-service science and mathematics teachers served as respondents of the study. Data collection was done through the use of the Science and Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument for Pre-service Teachers. The ANOVA indicated significant difference self-efficacy according to year level such that fourth year pre-service teachers indicated a statistically significant decrease. No significant difference was observed for gender and specialization. As regards to the type of courses as predictors of self-efficacy level, general education courses showed low positive predictive power (β = 0.180) whereas specialization courses and professional education courses showed a negative predictive power of β = -0.198 and β = -0.702 respectively. General education and professional education courses displayed significant predictive power at p < 0.05 whereas specialization courses did not (p=0.151). The overall explanatory power of the regression model was 61.1% (R2 = 0.611, F(3,171) = 90.419, p < 0.001). The 2 implications on the teacher education preparation as well as for future directions are likewise discussed.

An investigation of elementary preservice teachers’ self-efficacy for teaching mathematics

AbstractResearch has consistently shown that teacher efficacy is related to a variety of desirable student outcomes, thus, making teacher efficacy an important factor in high quality mathematics instruction. The purpose of this study was to determine elementary preservice teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs related to teaching mathematics. Forty-one participants from a single university responded to the Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument (MTEBI) after completing a constructivist-based elementary mathematics methods course prior to student teaching. The MTEBI is 21-item survey using a 5-point, forced choice Likert-like scale to provide an individual's perceptions of mathematics teaching efficacy beliefs on two subscales—Personal Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Belief (PMTE) and Mathematics Teaching Outcome Expectancy (MTOE). Responses on the PMTE subscale (Mean = 51.08, SD=5.171) indicate that the respondents’ personal mathematics teach efficacy is positive. Participants’ responses (Mean = 29.32, S...

Establishing Validity of the Thai Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument

This article presents our work in translating the Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument (MTEBI) from English to Thai and our resulting investigation of validity with Thai preservice teachers. The translation process occurred over several meetings between two U.S. mathematics educators and one Thai mathematics educator. To check for reliability the instrument was translated into Thai, back‐translated into English, and then cognitive interviews were conducted with native Thai speakers to check for accuracy, meaning, and readability. We used the newly translated Thai‐Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument (T‐MTEBI) to measure teacher efficacy beliefs as they related to Thai preservice mathematics teachers. Eight of the questions measure Mathematics Teaching Outcome Expectancy (MTOE). The mean of the scores on these questions was computed to form a MTOE score for each student. The remaining 13 questions measure Personal Mathematics Teaching Efficacy (PMTE). The mean of these scores was computed to obtain the PMTE score for each student. The mean of all 21 questions was computed to find an overall efficacy score for each student. The results of this study showed that the newly constructed T‐MTEBI produced reliability and validity measures comparable to the original MTEBI (Enochs, Smith, & Huinker, 2000).

The Investigation of Perceptions of Math Literacy Self-Efficacy and Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Belief Levels of Preservice Primary Mathematics Teachers

The purpose of this study is to determine the primary preservice mathematics teachers’ mathematics teaching efficacy perception with regard to the math literacy, and their belief in math teaching. It also aims to explore variables that contribute to these beliefs including gender, grade level, the type of high school where they were graduated, and to investigate the links amongst them. The study group of this research consisted of 278 preservice teachers who were in their second, third, or fourth year at the Faculty of Education, Primary School Mathematics Teaching at a university located in the West side of Turkey, during 2014-2015 academic year. “Mathematics Literacy Self-Efficacy Belief Instrument” and “The Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument” were used in this study to collect data. The findings showed that there was a small but significant relation between the preservice teachers’ mathematics literacy self-efficacy sense and mathematics teaching efficacy belief. Also it was found out that the preservice teachers’ mathematics literacy self-efficacy belief differentiates significantly depending on the their grade level.

Preschool Teachers’ Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Belief

Teacher efficacy can be defined as teachers’ beliefs in their abilities to organize and execute courses of action necessary to bring about desired results. Although beliefs and content knowledge, especially teaching mathematics efficacy beliefs are important factors in teacher training. This research aims to determine preschool teachers’ efficacy beliefs concerning mathematics teaching using the Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (MTEBI) developed by Enochs et al. (2000) and adapted to Turkish by Takunyaci & Aydin (2013). Findings indicated that teachers have low efficacy beliefs on teaching mathematics and most of the subject strongly agreed that they would generally teach mathematics ineffectively. Also, there was a significant difference amongst teachers’ efficacy beliefs on teaching mathematics and their years of experience in favor of preschool teachers who have 13 and more years experience in teaching.