Teacher Beliefs Scale Research Articles

EXPLORING TEACHER BELIEFS AND PRACTICES TO ENHANCE SELF-REGULATED LEARNING IN GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS IN MALDIVES

<p>This study explored how teachers perceive self-regulated learning (SRL) and their beliefs through a mixed-methods approach. The Self-Regulated Teacher Beliefs Scale (SRLTBS) was administered to 49 teachers in Fuvahmulah City and Laamu Atoll schools to gauge their views on SRL. Five of the 49 participating teachers were selected based on specific criteria for further observation and interviews. The questionnaire responses showed that teachers had a moderately positive attitude toward SRL but lacked comprehension in certain areas, such as SRL planning stages, goal setting, and methods to stimulate students' self-motivation. The classroom observations and interviews revealed that while teachers could articulate effective SRL teaching strategies, these ideas were not consistently implemented in the classroom. Teachers' actions promoted SRL during learning monitoring, but weaknesses were noted in the planning and assessment phases. Triangulating these findings highlights the link between positive beliefs and more comprehensive SRL application, yet gaps in planning and evaluation suggest a need for targeted professional development. Also, most teacher behaviors that supported SRL were implicit rather than explicitly teaching the required skills.<strong></strong></p><p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/lit/0753/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

A Study of the Relationship Between the Pre-service International Chinese Language Teacher Beliefs and Occupational Outlook on Development

With the rise of China and the increasing global influence of the Chinese language, international Chinese language education has gradually become a focal point in the global education field. In the flourishing development of international Chinese language education, the training and support for pre-service international Chinese language teachers has become an urgent problem to be addressed. People are paying increasing attention to the psychological and career development of pre-service teachers nowadays, and therefore the relationship between the teacher beliefs and occupational outlook on development of pre-service international Chinese language teachers deserves in-depth analysis. Firstly, this study analyzes the reliability and validity of the pre-service International Chinese language teacher belief Scale and the Professional Development Outlook scale to ensure the reliability and validity of the two scales. Secondly, this study tests the correlation between the pre-service international Chinese language teachers beliefs and the occupational development outlook. The findings show that the teaching beliefs, Chinese language beliefs and occupational development outlook had a statistically significant correlation, while there is no statistically significant correlation between learner beliefs and occupational development outlook. Finally, the regression analysis of teaching belief, Chinese language belief and occupational development outlook is carried out in this study. The results show that both teaching belief and Chinese language belief of pre-service international Chinese language teachers can predict the occupational development outlook. This study is helpful to deeply explore the psychological state of pre-service international Chinese language teachers and provide some references and enlightenment for the training of pre-service international Chinese language teachers.

Collective Teacher Efficacy and Its Enabling Conditions: A Proposed Framework for Influencing Collective Efficacy in Schools

This quantitative study aims to explore the validity of Donohoo et al.’s (2020) Enabling Conditions for Collective Teacher Efficacy Scale (EC-CTES) for fostering collective efficacy in schools and evaluate its relationship to measures of collective teacher efficacy. The instruments used for this study include the EC-CTES, the Collective Efficacy Scale (CES-SF), and the Collective Teacher Beliefs Scale (CTBS). The data were evaluated through confirmatory factor analysis, correlation matrices, and multiple regression models. The findings from this study demonstrate that the EC-CTES is a valid tool. The EC-CTES subscales are positively associated with measures of collective teacher efficacy. We recommend adjustments for the EC-CTES subscales for greater congruence with collective efficacy theory and practical application. Due to the theoretical density of collective teacher efficacy, a modified conceptual framework is proposed to make the enabling conditions theory more accessible to practitioners.

Are Teachers’ Democratic Beliefs about Classroom Life Associated with Their Perceptions of Inclusive Education?

ABSTRACT This study reports on Greek in-service primary school teachers’ perceptions of inclusive education and the extent to which those perceptions are associated with democratic beliefs about classroom life. In addition to examining general perceptions of inclusion, this study examines the association of teachers’ democratic beliefs about classroom life with specific perceptions of inclusive education, including sentiments, attitudes, and concerns. Finally, this study investigates the extent to which teachers’ perceptions of inclusive education are associated with key demographic, professional, and personal characteristics. The sample consisted of 315 primary school teachers in Greece who completed a) the ‘Sentiments, Attitudes, and Concerns about Inclusive Education Revised’ Scale and b) the ‘Democratic Teacher Belief Scale’. Results indicate that participants had moderately positive views about inclusive education. Teachers’ democratic beliefs about classroom life were significantly associated with their attitudes, sentiments, and concerns about inclusive education. Significant associations were found between teachers’ perceptions of inclusive education and their perceived confidence in teaching students with disabilities, training in disabilities education, and prior experience in teaching students with disabilities. The findings are discussed in relation to their implications for teachers’ training programs in countries and educational systems that are at an early stage of providing inclusive education.

School and teacher determinants underlying teachers’ implementation of self-regulated learning in primary education

ABSTRACTTeaching students how to regulate their own learning has become a popular innovative practice in primary education. However, not much is known about how teacher as well as school characteristics enhance students’ self-regulated learning (SRL). This study explores whether schools differ in the way they implement SRL and what factors at the school and teacher level are related to successful classroom implementation of SRL. Survey data was gathered from 331 teachers in 44 primary schools. A comprehensive theoretical model, identifying determinants on teacher and school level related to teachers’ SRL implementation, was tested using structural equation modelling. Results indicate that teachers’ beliefs and teacher self-efficacy are strongly related to SRL implementation. At the school level, the importance of a shared SRL vision and the engagement of teachers in reflective dialogue are highlighted with implications for the role of the school leader. Recommendations for future research and considerations for teachers’ educational practice are discussed.Abbreviation: CFA: confirmatory factor analysis; CFI: comparative fit index; df: degrees of freedom; ICT: information and communication technology; JD-R: job demands-resources; M: mean; PLC: professional learning community; RMSEA: root mean square error of approximation; SD: standard deviation; SEM: structural equation modelling; SRL: self-regulated learning; SRLIT: Self-Regulated Learning Inventory for Teachers; SRLTB: Self-Regulated Learning Teacher Belief Scale; SRMR: standardized root mean residual; TLI: Tucker-Lewis index; TSES-SRL: Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale to implement Self-Regulated Learning

In-Service Mathematics Teachers’ Beliefs About Teaching, Learning and Nature of Mathematics and Their Mathematics Teaching Practices

The aim of this study is four fold: (a) to investigate the beliefs of elementary (grades 1-3) and middle school (4-6 grades) math teachers about teaching, learning and nature of mathematics; (b) to explore their teaching practices of mathematics; (c) to study the impact of their educational qualifications, years of experience, major on their beliefs toward teaching, learning and nature of mathematics, and; (d) to explore the relationship between their beliefs about teaching learning and nature of mathematics and their teaching practices. Data were collected using two questionnaires: the Math Teacher Beliefs Scale and the Mathematics Teaching Practices Scale. The study sample consisted of 101 teachers who teach in 11 private schools located in Amman, Jordan. The result of this study showed that teachers’ beliefs towards teaching and learning mathematics are more inclined towards being constructive or mixed in between. It was also concluded that the teaching practices lean towards constructivism. There were no significant differences attributed to years of experience, academic level, major, or at what stage they teach, whether it revolves around the their beliefs towards teaching and learning mathematics or towards teaching practices (from teachers’ perspective). The study results revealed a statistically significant correlation between what the teachers believe and what teaching practices they put into use.

Student Teachers’ Beliefs about Developmentally Appropriate Practices and Their Relationship with some Demographic Variables

The purpose of this study was to investigate female student teachers’ beliefs towards developmentally appropriate practices (DAP) and the relationship between these beliefs and the GPA. It also aimed to investigate the differences in DAP beliefs among female student teachers at different years(lst through 4th year). Study sample consisted of 60 female students selected from the Early Child Education program at the College of Education, Sultan Qaboos University from different years (lst through 4th year). The study used the three subscales of teacher beliefs scale: (a) integrated/social- cultural curriculum, (b) teacher-directed / basic school skills and (c) child-centered learning. The results indicated a significant correlation at p=0.01 among the three TBS subscales, the total score and GPA. Significant differences were also found between the different years where the beliefs of the second, third and fourth year students were better than first year students beliefs on all subscales and the total score.

Student Teachers’ Beliefs about Developmentally Appropriate Practices and Their Relationship with some Demographic Variables

The purpose of this study was to investigate female student teachers’ beliefs towards developmentally appropriate practices (DAP) and the relationship between these beliefs and the GPA. It also aimed to investigate the differences in DAP beliefs among female student teachers at different years(lst through 4th year). Study sample consisted of 60 female students selected from the Early Child Education program at the College of Education, Sultan Qaboos University from different years (lst through 4th year). The study used the three subscales of teacher beliefs scale: (a) integrated/social- cultural curriculum, (b) teacher-directed / basic school skills and (c) child-centered learning. The results indicated a significant correlation at p=0.01 among the three TBS subscales, the total score and GPA. Significant differences were also found between the different years where the beliefs of the second, third and fourth year students were better than first year students beliefs on all subscales and the total score.

The Turkish Adaptation of Self-regulated Learning Teacher Belief Scale

The aim of this paper is to adapt Self-Regulated Learning Teacher Belief Scale (SRLTB) into the Turkish language for language equivalance, reliability, and validity. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted for construct validity of the scale. Within the reliability studies of the scale, Cronbach Alpha value and item-total correlations were calculated using the split-half method. According to EFA results, a single factor construct explaining 36 percent of total variance came out. This is compliant with the original construct of the scale. CFA indicated that the fit indices had values significantly above acceptable values, which confirmed the single-factored structure. The scale's internal consistency coefficient, which was .79, indicating high reliability. In conclusion, the paper provides the Turkish-language equivalance of the scale and finds that the scale is reliable and valid in determining teachers' beliefs about self-regulated learning.

Exploring the educational beliefs of primary education student teachers in the Chinese context

Teacher educational beliefs may be largely shaped by culturally shared learning experiences and social values. The main purpose of this study is to explore educational beliefs of Chinese student teachers. An adapted version of the Teacher Beliefs Scale (TBS)—developed in a Western context (Woolley et al. in Educational and Psychological Measurement, 64: 319–331, 2004)—was validated in this study, and the profiles of student teacher educational beliefs were analyzed. The research participants consisted of 727 Chinese student teachers from four different teacher education universities. A factor analysis of the Chinese version of the TBS supported the dimensions of the original instrument, but some items had to be discarded to less consistent factor loading. The ANOVA results showed that there were significant differences in constructivist teaching beliefs with respect to gender, study year, and majoring subjects. But no significant differences in the adherence to traditional teaching beliefs were observed. The results also show that the first year student teachers hold stronger constructivist beliefs as compared to senior student teachers. This can be linked to the latter larger teaching and learning experiences in real classroom settings. Implications are drawn for further research in teacher education contexts.

Increasing Perceived Efficacy for Teaching Mathematics: An Exploratory Study

This study explores pre-service early childhood teachers’ efficacy for teaching mathematics. Thirty-eight participants completed the short form of the Teacher Efficacy Scale and the Teacher Beliefs Scale before and after they conducted a clinical interview with a child around a mathematical topic. Results indicated a significant increase in Personal Teaching Efficacy as well as significant changes in beliefs about early childhood mathematics.

Development of the self-regulated learning teacher belief scale

The present study describes the development and psychometric properties of the Self-Regulated Learning Teacher Belief Scale (SRLTB). The SRLTB is a self-report teacher scale with 10 items assessing teachers' beliefs about introducing self-regulated learning (SRL) in primary education. The process of item and scale development as well as testing and scale refinement procedure is presented. An explorative study (n=399) revealed a one-factor structure representing adherence of teachers for SRL in primary school. Next, Rasch analysis revealed good fit of the scale to the unidimensional continuum model. In a following study (n=553), construct validity of the SRLTB was confirmed. Finally, implications and limitations of the SRLTB for studying SRL are discussed. In general, the SRLTB appears to be a useful instrument for examining teacher beliefs about self-regulated learning practices in primary schools.

Chinese and American preschool teachers’ beliefs about early childhood curriculum

This study examined the consistency of Chinese preschool teachers’ curriculum beliefs and self‐reported practices, similarities and differences between American and Chinese teachers’ beliefs, and associations between teachers’ personal, professional and socio‐cultural characteristics and curriculum beliefs. A total of 296 Chinese teachers and 146 American teachers completed the Teacher Beliefs Scale and the Teachers’ Background Information Questionnaire. Chinese teachers also completed the Instructional Activities Scale. Also, 10 teachers in each country were interviewed in depth. Principal components analyses revealed three reliable factors with similar structures for both Chinese and American teacher beliefs. However, a discriminant analysis indicated significant cross‐national differences in teachers’ level of endorsement of specific beliefs. Moderate associations were found between Chinese teachers’ curriculum beliefs and self‐reported practices. Chinese teachers’ general education, professional training, location of school, and class sizes were all significantly associated with their beliefs. For American teachers, only the general education level was related to curriculum beliefs.

Construct Validity of the Arabic Version of the Democratic Teacher Beliefs Scale

Construct Validity of the Arabic Version of the Democratic Teacher Beliefs Scale

Beliefs and Practices of In-Service Preschool Teachers in Inclusive Settings: Implications for Personnel Preparation

This study examined the beliefs of in-service teachers working in inclusive classrooms regarding developmentally appropriate practices and how those beliefs affected their attitudes toward, knowledge of, and comfort levels regarding working with children with disabilities. A mixed-method approach was utilized and data were collected through the use of three survey instruments: Teacher Belief Scale and Instructional Activities Scale (Hart et al., 1990) and the In-service Teacher Self-Report Survey (Mitchell, 2002). Data were also collected through open-ended questions to assess Teachers' perceived level of preparation for the inclusive classroom. This study also examined whether education or experience levels had an influence on Teachers' perceptions regarding inclusive practices. Results of the study indicate that there is not a significant relationship between in-service Teachers' beliefs regarding developmentally appropriate practices and their attitudes toward, knowledge of, and comfort levels regarding inclusion. Additionally, results indicate that the Teachers' levels of education or experience do not necessarily indicate that they are prepared to meet the needs of the inclusive classroom environment. Implications regarding the preparation of and ongoing training needs of teachers are discussed.

The Influence of Teachers’ Efficacy and Beliefs Regarding Mathematics Instruction in the Early Childhood Classroom

This was a correlational study conducted with a population of prekindergarten educators from a large, metropolitan school district. The purpose was to examine if there were relationships between and among early childhood teachers’ sense of self-efficacy, their beliefs about the importance of mathematics, and their mathematics instructional practices. Examining teachers’ efficacy and beliefs can inform educational practice and help to differentiate between more and less successful instructional practices when teaching mathematics in the early childhood classroom. Data were collected on teacher efficacy and teacher beliefs about the importance of mathematics with two self-report questionnaires. The hypothesis that the teachers higher in efficacy will rate the importance of mathematics higher on the teacher-belief scale than the teachers with lower efficacy was found to be true with this sample, but the correlation was weak. The level of efficacy of the early childhood teachers in this sample confirmed that in assessing their capabilities, they rate themselves high in instructional strategies, classroom management, and student engagement. The early childhood teachers did not rate their belief in mathematics as high as their efficacy. Observations of mathematics instructional practices were conducted with twenty teachers. It was hypothesized that the combination of high teacher efficacy and high teacher mathematics beliefs would show alignment with the presence of standards-based mathematics instructional practices. The results were not statistically significant. No correlation signals a need for more research to explore what other personal or external factors relate to mathematics instructional practices in the early childhood classroom. The research may inform pre kindergarten teachers and teacher educators about effective instructional strategies and knowledge needed to launch early childhood students on a developmentally appropriate pathway to mathematical literacy. Readers of this article will be interested as well in Joohee Lee, Correlations between kindergarten teachers’ attitudes toward mathematics and teaching practice, Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, 25(2), pp.173–184.

Validation of the Democratic Teacher Belief Scale (DTBS)

Democratic beliefs in education are important in a pluralistic society, where teachers must be prepared to make professional decisions about how best to meet the educational needs of all students. The purpose of this study was to validate the Democratic Teacher Belief Scale (DTBS). The scale is composed of 34 items relating to the three central principles in democracy--equality, freedom, and justice--as they are manifested in classroom life. Results indicated high internal consistency, significant contrasted group validity, and significant criterion validity (correlation with the Classroom Coping Strategies Scale and with principal evaluation of teaching success). These results have important implications for the measurement of teacher beliefs, as well as for practice in teacher training.

Kindergarten teachers' certification status and participation in staff development activities in relation to their knowledge and perceived use of developmentally appropriate practices (DAP)

Two factors are examined that may impact public school kindergarten teachers’ knowledge of DAP: certification status and participation in various staff development activities. Four research questions guide this investigation: (1) Is knowledge of DAP related to certification backgrounds? (2) Does extent of participation in different kinds of DAP‐related staff development relate to certification? (3) Does extent of participation in different kinds of DAP‐related staff development relate to knowledge of DAP? (4) Is there a combined effect of certification background and staff development on DAP knowledge? Knowledge of DAP was assessed with a modified form of the “Teacher Beliefs Scale (TBS)” and “Instructional Activities Scale (IAS)” (Charlesworth, Hart, Burt, & Hernandez, 1991; Charlesworth et al, 1993a). Three different certification types were compared: Early Childhood, Elementary Education, and Other/Specialized. Teachers were asked to report different kinds of staff development and teachers with higher levels of more varied types of staff development activities in their backgrounds were compared with those teachers with less background. Analyses revealed a significant main effect for certification but not staff development activities, the specific types of which differed by certification. Suggestions are made to improve staff development for public school kindergarten teachers in need of DAP knowledge.

The social conflict inventory (SCI): A measure of beliefs about classroom peer conflicts

This study describes the development of the Social Conflict Inventory (SCI), a self‐report teacher belief scale for assessing beliefs about young children's classroom peer conflicts. Three phases were involved in the construction of the SCI: item development, initial testing with one sample (n = 218), and follow‐up field test with a second sample (n = 395) that also addressed the convergent and concurrent validity of the instrument. Reliability and factor analyses conducted during the initial field test resulted in a reduction to 20 items (Cronbach’ s α = .87) with three subscales: General Orientation to Peer Conflict (α = .81), Cessation (α = .84), and Facilitation (α = .65). Similar patterns of factor loadings and reliabilities resulted from analyses of the follow‐up field test data. Overall, the SCI proved to be a reliable instrument for assessing the beliefs concerning the role of classroom conflicts in children's development and for differentiating among groups of teachers. Further use of the SCI in conjunction with other measures of teacher beliefs will contribute to a better understanding of its concurrent validity. Finally, the potential for its use in future studies to clarify the relationship between beliefs and actual classroom practices and as an instrument for assessing the effectiveness of specific classroom management training programs is discussed.

Structural model of head start classroom quality

The purpose of this research study was to develop, test, and validate a model that identifies the characteristics and beliefs of teachers and aides, and the classroom structural dimensions associated with Head Start classroom quality. The quality of classroom teaching practices was collected using the Assessment Profile for Early Childhood Programs: Research Version. Classroom structural characteristics were collected by observers. Teachers and teacher aides completed three self-report instruments: Teacher Beliefs Scale, Instructional Activities Scale, and Family Involvement Survey. Data analyses were conducted using structural equation modeling with the Lisrel VII computer program. The model was tested with Year 1 classroom level data and validated with Year 2 data. Education Level was shown to directly affect Inappropriate Beliefs, which impacted Inappropriate Instructional Activities, which influenced Classroom Quality. Neither Education Level nor Teacher Beliefs had direct effects on Classroom Quality, but they had indirect effects through Instructional Activities. Classroom Structure was associated directly with Quality. Education Level and Classroom Quality were associated directly with Attitudes Toward Families.