Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Research Articles

구성주의에 기반한 모의수업 활동이 예비 생물교사의 인식론적 신념, 과학 교수 효능감 및 교수 동기에 미치는 영향

본 연구는 구성주의에 기반한 모의수업 활동 후 예비 생물교사들의 인식론적 신념, 과학 교수 효능감, 그리고 교수동기에 미치는 영향을 조사하였다. 예비 생물교사들은 과학교수 개혁안의 목표를 반영하고 있는지 보기 위한 평가척도인 RTOP을 토대로 수업을 구상하고 시연하도록 하였으며, 동료평가의 기회를 가졌다. 수업처치 후 예비 생물교사들은 지식의 단순성 영역에서 인식론적 신념이 향상되었으며(p<.05), 과학 교수 효능감 또한 향상되었다(p<.01). 교수동기에 있어서 예비 생물교사들은 외재적 교수 동기는 감소하였으나(p<.05) 내재적 교수 동기는 증가하지 않았다(p>.05). 또한 피어슨 상관관계 결과, 과학 교수 자기 효능감과 외재적 동기는 부적 상관 관계를 나타냈다(p<.05). 구성주의를 강조한 모의수업 활동 후 학생들은 이상적인 과학수업과 과학교사의 자질로 탐구, 토론 및 참여라는 단어를 선택하여, 본 연구에서의 수업처치를 통해 예비 교사들은 구성주의가 지향하는 교수학습 방법을 인식하는데 도움이 되었다고 판단된다. This study examined the effect of simulated instruction activities based on a constructivist teaching approach on epistemological belief, science teaching efficacy belief, and teaching motivation. The RTOP (Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol) played a role to guide preservice biology teachers to obtain insights on current reformed teaching and to further practice teaching based on constructivism. The results indicated that preservice teachers changed their epistemological beliefs toward more sophisticated views, especially for 'simple knowledge'. They also improved their science teaching efficacy beliefs, both personal science teaching efficacy belief (PSTEB) and science teaching outcome expectancy (STOE). In addition, these perservice teachers decreased their scores of extrinsic teaching motivation. The Pearson correlation represented the negative relationship between personal science teaching efficacy belief (PSTEB) and extrinsic teaching motivation. After intervention, the preservice teachers mentioned inquiry, active participation and discussion as ideal science teaching methods and qualifications for science teachers.

Relationships among Teachers’ Knowledge and Beliefs Regarding the Teaching of Evolution: A Case for Turkey

Abstract The research study investigated the possible associations among science and biology teachers’ knowledge and belief variables concerning teaching evolution in science and biology classes. Specifically, this study examined how a set of variables including teachers’ understanding of evolution and nature of science (NOS) is related to the set of variables including teachers’ acceptance of evolution and perceptions of teaching evolution (i.e., perceptions of the necessity of addressing evolution in their classrooms, perceptions of the factors that impede addressing evolution in their classrooms, and personal science teaching efficacy beliefs regarding evolution). Data were collected from science and biology teachers through administration of Evolution Content Knowledge Test, Measure of Acceptance of the Theory of Evolution, Nature of Science as Argument Questionnaire and Teachers’ Perceptions of Teaching Evolution Scale. Canonical correlation analysis findings suggested that teachers who had thorough understanding of evolution and NOS were likely to both accept the scientific validity of evolution and believe the necessity of addressing evolution in the classrooms. On the other hand, teachers with thorough understanding of evolution and NOS did not necessarily believe that they have a stronger sense of self-efficacy beliefs regarding teaching evolution and that there are fewer obstacles to addressing evolution in the classroom. The research is significant in that it provides empirical evidence clarifying the interactions between teachers’ understanding and beliefs in teaching evolution. Implications for science teacher education are discussed.

Novice ESOL Teachers' Perceptions of Social Support Networks

As new teachers navigate the challenging first years of work, they need positive support providers (Villani, 2002). The impact of support providers on novice educators' beliefs about teaching efficacy previously went unexplored. This study examined novice English to speakers of other languages (ESOL) teachers' perceptions of social support and teacher efficacy using integrated qualitative and quantitative methods (Morgan, 1998, 2011). In the initial qualitative component, novice teachers identified three categories of support: mentors, coworkers, family. The Teachers' Sense of Teacher Efficacy Scale (Tschannen‐Moran &amp; Woolfolk Hoy, 2001) was administered to examine potential links between support providers and three areas of perceived teacher efficacy: instructional strategies, student engagement, classroom management. Support appraisals were examined for each support domain using a modified version of the Perceived Social Support Inventory (Procidano &amp; Heller, 1983) to assess the degree to which novice teachers felt supported. Teachers reported coworkers and mentors as the most significant support providers, yet only family support was significantly associated with teacher efficacy beliefs in the quantitative portion of this study. Novice teachers were also asked to elaborate on the frequency, type, and quality of support offered by family, friends, and mentors.

Changes of Preservice Biology Teachers' Pedagogical Knowledge and Science Teaching Efficacy Belief through Science Pedagogy Course

This study explored changes of preservice biology teachers' pedagogical knowledge and science teaching efficacy belief after the science pedagogy course. Preservice biology teachers who did not take any science pedagogy courses had an opportunity to engage in discussions of educational theories and group activities of instructional design utilizing science instructional models as a first step to develop practical knowledge. These preservice teachers represented a statistically significant increase in their scores on pedagogical knowledge including theory, student development, planning, and implementation, but no statistical difference in their scores measuring science teaching efficacy belief. In addition, the correlation results indicated that the science teaching efficacy belief is related to implementation even though the magnitude is relatively moderate.

Broadening Diversity in the Geosciences Through Teacher–Student Workshops That Emphasize Community-Based Research Projects

ABSTRACTThe Geosciences Institute for Research and Education at the University of Michigan–Dearborn has been an example of a successful and effective model in increasing the participation of underrepresented groups in the geosciences. The program emphasizes involving middle school and at-risk high school students from the Detroit area public schools, along with their teachers in geoscience research projects, through a series of spring and summer workshops. The workshops introduce students to the geosciences by emphasizing how geology can be used as a tool to solve community-based environmental problems. Students work alongside their teachers and university faculty on projects ranging from an assessment of brownfield sites in southwestern Detroit to the installation of groundwater monitoring wells to the evaluation of how former land use is impacting groundwater and surface water quality. Spring workshops focused on students from three African-centered middle schools in Detroit, while the summer workshops focused more on middle school and high school teacher training, but included a small group of middle school and high school students. Instruments used to evaluate the effectiveness of the workshops included the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument, the Geoscience Concept Inventory, and survey questions from the Watershed Task. Pre- and postworkshop questionnaires and separate teacher–student focus groups demonstrate that we have not only increased student awareness of the geosciences, but we have also motivated students to pursue career opportunities in science. For example, more than half of the students completing the workshop (boys and girls alike) have expressed a strong interest in pursuing a career in the geosciences. Since its inception in 2005, we have reached over 100 middle and high school students, and 75 teachers. During this same period, the Earth Science major at the University of Michigan–Dearborn has tripled in size, and we have quadrupled the number of minority students taking introductory geology courses.

Connecting Teacher Efficacy Beliefs in Promoting Resilience to Support of Latino Students

This article explores the connection of teacher self-efficacy beliefs in promoting student resilience to teaching practice and support of Latino students. Results suggest that efficacy beliefs related to resilience are linked to building important relationships through connecting with students, building on their experiences and knowledge, and understanding the issues they confront. In particular, important to strengthening the academic resilience of Latino students are teachers’ views of their use of Spanish as an asset in their learning as well as the sensitivity teachers displayed around the added stressors Latino students face, such as discrimination and immigrant status.

Self Efficacy and Collective Efficacy Beliefs of Teachers for Children with Autism

Researchers have sought to define teacher efficacy, and done so based on work conducted in the 1970s by the RAND organisation and also Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory. Efficacy the belief in one’s capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required to manage prospective situations. Collective efficacy refers to the judgment of teachers in a school that the faculty as a whole can organise and execute the courses of action required to have a positive effect on students. Self efficacy (SE) and collective efficacy (CE) beliefs seem to be very closely linked to childrens’ progress. This study seeks to shed light on self efficacy and collective efficacy beliefs of teachers’ for children with autism in autism schools across the UK. Teachers from 137 schools for children with autism across UK will be asked to complete and online survey consisting of three questionnaires on demographic, self efficacy and collective efficacy beliefs.

Non‐Traditional Preservice Teachers and Their Mathematics Efficacy Beliefs

In Florida, recent legislative changes have granted community colleges the ability to offer baccalaureate degrees in education, frequently to non‐traditional students. Based on information obtained from the literature covering preservice teachers' math knowledge, teachers' efficacy beliefs about math, and high‐stakes mathematics testing, a study examined a population of preservice teachers in a new Florida teacher preparation program. The research investigated relationships surrounding non‐traditional preservice teachers' characteristics such as: ages, high‐stakes math failures, lower division mathematics history, and math methods course performance, in relation to their efficacy beliefs about mathematics. Results revealed that preservice teachers' ages, lower division mathematics history, and math methods course performance, did have a significant relationship with their math efficacy beliefs, as measured by the Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument (MTEBI); the variable of high‐stakes math failures did not. Additionally, a multiple regression model including the aforementioned variables did predict preservice teachers' MTEBI scores, but did not generalize to the greater population. The findings from this study can assist new teacher preparation programs in isolating variables that identify preservice teachers who are at risk for poor mathematical attitudes; can posit avenues for fostering positive math beliefs in preservice teachers; and can recommend further research in this area.

The roles of teacher efficacy in instructional innovation: its predictive relations to constructivist and didactic instruction

Constructivistinstructionhasbeenimplementedinthecurrentinstructionalinno- vation in Singapore. Large scale survey study was conducted to examine the roles of teacher efficacy in implementing the innovative constructivist instruction. The results showed that the positive correlation between teacher efficacy and constructivist instruction was stronger than the correlation between teacher efficacy and didactic instruction. The study suggests that policy makers and school leaders should try to improve teacher's efficacy beliefs so that innovative instruction could be effectively implemented by school teachers.

Pre-service biology teachers’ perceptions on the instruction of socio-scientific issues in the curriculum

The work presented here represents a preliminary attempt to address the role of teachers in supporting students’ learning on socio-scientific issues (SSI) by characterising pre-service biology teachers’ perceptions and adaptation of curriculum and identifying factors that serve to mediate this process. A hundred and two undergraduate pre-service biology teachers took part in this study over the course of one semester. The teacher candidates (72% female) completed a questionnaire comprising Likert-type and open-ended questions. The results indicated that the teacher candidates perceived a need to address SSI positively. Pre-service teachers had moderate personal teaching efficacy beliefs related to teaching about SSI. They also identified the lack of instructional time and the unavailability of relevant materials as the primary obstacles hindering the teaching of SSI. The implications for teacher education and the design of curriculum materials with respect to SSI are discussed.

Psychometric Properties of the Turkish Adaptation of the Mathematics Teacher Efficacy Belief Instrument for In-Service Teachers

Teaching efficacy beliefs have attracted researchers' attention in recent decades because of its close association with and potential impact on the implementation of new ideas and skills in education. In the present study, we have explored the psychometric properties and construct validity of the Turkish adaptation of the Mathematics Teacher Efficacy Belief Instrument developed by Enochs, Smith, & Huinker (2000) for in-service mathematics teachers. The instrument distinguishes between two dimensions of efficacy beliefs for mathematics teachers: personal mathematics teaching efficacy and mathematics teaching outcome expectancy. The sample consisted of 1355 in-service elementary school teachers and middle school mathematics teachers from 368 schools. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis revealed a two-factor structure similar to that found in other studies. Also, scores from the two subscales indicated acceptable internal consistency.

Linking Preservice Teachers' Mathematics Self‐Efficacy and Mathematics Teaching Efficacy to Their Mathematical Performance

This study examined preservice teachers' mathematics self‐efficacy and mathematics teaching efficacy and compared them to their mathematical performance. Participants included 89 early childhood preservice teachers at a Midwestern university. Instruments included the Mathematics Self‐Efficacy Scale (MSES), Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument (MTEBI), and the Illinois Certification Testing System (ICTS) Basic Skills Test. The results indicate that preservice teachers' mathematics self‐efficacy is positively correlated to their personal mathematics teaching efficacy. In addition, their mathematical performance is related to their mathematics self‐efficacy and mathematics teaching efficacy. In regard to affecting student outcomes, only those preservice teachers who are very confident in their ability to teach believe they can have an effect on their students. Implications on teacher education programs are discussed.

Investigating the Use of Vicarious and Mastery Experiences in Influencing Early Childhood Education Majors’ Self-Efficacy Beliefs

This study investigated the effectiveness of an Early Childhood Education science methods course that focused exclusively on providing various mastery (i.e., enactive, cognitive content, and cognitive pedagogical) and vicarious experiences (i.e., cognitive self-modeling, symbolic modeling, and simulated modeling) in increasing preservice elementary teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs. Forty-four preservice elementary teachers participated in the study. Analysis of the quantitative (STEBI-b) and qualitative (informal surveys) data revealed that personal science teaching efficacy and science teaching outcome expectancy beliefs increased significantly over the semester. Enactive mastery, cognitive pedagogical mastery, symbolic modeling, and cognitive self-modeling were the major sources of self-efficacy. This list was followed by cognitive content mastery and simulated modeling. This study has implications for science teacher educators.

Schools as Complex Host Environments: Understanding Aspects of Schools that May Influence Clinical Practice and Research

Schools as Complex Host Environments: Understanding Aspects of Schools that May Influence Clinical Practice and Research

Teacher Efficacy Beliefs Toward Serving Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students in Special Education

Educating a nation of culturally, ethnically/racially, and linguistically diverse (CLD) students is one of the many challenges facing teachers and teacher educators, resulting in teachers’ questioning their ability to improve learning for these groups. Yet teacher efficacy is significantly related to student achievement, motivation, and students’ own sense of efficacy (Tschannen-Moran &amp; Hoy, 2001). Given continuous patterns of disproportionate representation of CLD students in special education, as well as inadequate services, it is important to understand the relation between teacher efficacy and success of CLD populations. The purpose of this pilot study not only examined the reliability of newly developed survey instrument but also investigated urban in-service special education teachers’ perceptions about their abilities to teach CLD students. Thirty-one teachers participated in this study. Among these teachers, six agreed to join the follow-up debriefing. The results demonstrated adequate reliability, and several hypotheses were formulated during analyzing data and discussed with peer debriefers. Implications of this study will be provided.

Analysis of Environmental and General Science Teaching Efficacy Among Instructors with Contrasting Class Ethnicity Distributions: A Four-Dimensional Assessment

The context and nature of teacher efficacy beliefs provide a method upon which to explore science teachers' perceptions of their teaching effectiveness and student achievement as a function of ethnicity. Promotion of a more in-depth knowledge of science teaching efficacy requires cross-sectional and longitudinal investigations. In this study, a bi-disciplinary four-dimensional assessment is utilized to measure personal teacher efficacy, outcome expectancy, classroom management (CM), and student engagement (SE). Major findings from this study conclude that science teaching efficacy was markedly lower for science teachers with high minority class ethnicity distribution (CED) when compared with efficacy levels of teachers with high nonminority CED. Additionally, when examining efficacy dimensions separately, markedly lower mean efficacy dimension responses were consistent for teachers with high minority CED; however, only CM and SE were considered statistically different. Results were consistent for both the environmental and general science disciplines.

Self-Efficacy Perceptions of Social Studies Candidate Teachers.

The aim of this study was to determine the self efficacy beliefs of pre-service social studies teachers. For this purpose, the scales developed in various areas were examined, the opinions of experts were taken and a final scale was created to be used for this study. The validity and reliability of the scale were checked. The validity cofficient was calculated which was higher than .30. The reliability cofficient was found .81. The scale was applied to 268 canditate teachers of social studies, studying at Universities of Kastamonu and Kilis. The study consisted of two parts. The first part had information about students such as the gender, the grade level, and the type of graduated high school. The second part consisted of items to determine the self efficacy feelings. The SPSS 16.0 package program was used to analyze the data. The data are analysed with t-test and variance analyse method (ANOVA). At the and of the study, it was not found a significiant difference between the self efficiency of teacher candidates and their gender, grade level and type of thehigh school graduated. Key words: Pre-service social studies teachers, self efficacy, perceptions.

Exploring Relationships Between Teaching Efficacy and Student Teacher – Cooperating Teacher Relationships

Teaching efficacy beliefs of agricultural science student teachers, and their relationship with their cooperating teachers during field experiences, are variables that may affect the number of student teachers entering the profession. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects implementing structured communication between student teachers and cooperating teachers on student teachers’ self– perceived teaching efficacy, and the relationship between the student teacher and cooperating teacher. This study employed a quasi–experimental design with a non–random sample in a multiple time–series design. The average respondent in this study was a 23 year old white undergraduate female placed at a multiple placement cooperating center. Based on data from this study, it was concluded that structured communication did not affect teaching efficacy or the relationship between the student teacher and cooperating teacher.

Turkish Preservice Primary School Teachers' Science Teaching Efficacy Beliefs and Attitudes Toward Science: The Effect of a Primary Teacher Education Program

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a primary teacher education program in improving science teaching efficacy beliefs (personal science teaching efficacy beliefs and outcome expectancy beliefs) of preservice primary school teachers. The study also investigated whether the program has an effect on student teachers' attitudes toward science. Data were collected by administering the “Science Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument” and “Attitudes toward Science Scale” to 282 preservice primary teachers (147 freshmen, 135 seniors). Statistical techniques such as means and t-test were used to analyze the data. Results of the study showed that the primary teacher education program has a medium positive effect on science teaching efficacy beliefs of the primary preservice teachers (t = 4.791, p = .000) and that there were no gender differences in terms of efficacy beliefs. Results also indicated that preservice primary teachers' attitudes toward science were moderately positive and differ by class level. Fourth-year preservice teachers' attitudes toward science were found to be significantly more positive than the first years (t = 5.494, p = .000). There were no gender differences in attitudes toward science.

A Mixed‐Method Study: Assessing the BAR Model's Impact on Preservice Teachers' Efficacy Beliefs

This study took place at a mid‐sized, Midwestern university located in a mid‐sized town. The researchers developed the BAR model to teach mathematics methods both in the classroom and in the field. The preservice teachers took Enochs, Smith, and Huinker's Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument (MTEBI) on the first and last day of class. A total of 297 responses were collected from the pre‐ and posttests, with 280 matching responses, which were then used for data analysis. Mixed methods were used to analyze qualitative and quantitative data. The researchers sought to determine if the specific teaching methods from the BAR model led to positive changes in preservice teacher efficacy beliefs. They also explored if efficacy beliefs changed as a result of field experiences. Preservice teachers' efficacy scores changed positively on every item on the MTEBI. The researchers also determined that there was an increase in preservice teachers' outputs as a result of their field experiences.