Education In Sense Research Articles

Situating the Self Through Sketching: First Year Doctoral Students Finding Their Way

As part of a two-semester advanced research methodology course, five PhD students completed three sketches—beginning, middle, and end of course—to represent how they were thinking and feeling about themselves as doctoral students as they progressed through their first year. They also wrote reflections to complement the sketches and shared their sketches in class. At the end of the course, the students co-led a study with their two instructors to examine their learnings and understandings gained from sketching. The students wrote individual narratives about their experiences and the instructors wrote narratives about how sketching was part of their pedagogical thinking. The analysis revealed seven student themes, including positive outcomes and challenges associated with sketching. One positive outcome was that students felt empowered as the sketches gave them the opportunity to reflect back on their progress, both cognitively and emotionally, over their first year of doctoral studies. Sketching itself was a challenge for some, but all felt that it was a powerful experience. Sketching provided the instructors with insights they might not have gotten through words alone, enhancing their sense of teaching and learning, and gave them valuable information to support the students.

The Impact of Leadership Styles on Teacher Self-Efficacy and Professional Development

This study investigates the impact of different leadership styles—transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire—on teacher self-efficacy and professional development. Employing a quantitative cross-sectional survey design, the research analyzes data from 300 primary and secondary school teachers, gathered through structured questionnaires including the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ), Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES), and Professional Development Engagement Scale (PDES). The results indicate that transformational leadership significantly enhances teacher self-efficacy (β = 0.40, p < 0.01) and supports professional development (β = 0.35, p < 0.05), while transactional leadership shows minimal impact on these outcomes. Furthermore, teacher self-efficacy mediates the relationship between transformational leadership and professional development (indirect effect = 0.30, p < 0.01). Moderation analysis reveals that years of teaching experience moderates the effect of transformational leadership on self-efficacy, with a more pronounced impact observed for teachers with 1-5 years of experience (β = 0.35, p < 0.05). The study underscores the importance of transformational leadership in fostering teacher growth and suggests that leadership training programs should emphasize this style to maximize teacher development and efficacy.

Motivational evaluation, sense of cooperation and teachers’ knowledge development in selected China universities

Motivational evaluation, sense of cooperation and teachers’ knowledge development in selected China universities

The Relationship Between Teacher Efficacy and Hardiness in Inclusive School Teachers at the Foundation of Inspiring Learners in Bukittinggi City

Teachers in inclusive schools have diverse and complex responsibilities, necessitating a high level of hardiness to cope with pressure and stress. Teacher efficacy is a crucial factor that helps them face these challenges. This study aims to determine the relationship between teacher efficacy and hardiness among teachers in inclusive schools at the Yayasan Inspirasi Pembelajar in Bukittinggi. This research employs a quantitative method with a correlational approach. The analysis technique used is Pearson Product Moment. The sample consists of all teachers in inclusive schools at the Yayasan Inspirasi Pembelajar in Bukittinggi, totaling 54 individuals, obtained through total population sampling. Data collection was conducted using the Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale and the Dispositional Resilience Scale: A Short Hardiness Scale. The results indicate a significant relationship between teacher efficacy and hardiness among inclusive school teachers. The correlation analysis shows a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.322 with a significance value (p) of 0.018 (p < 0.05). This means that the higher the level of teacher efficacy, the higher the level of hardiness they possess. These findings suggest that enhancing teacher efficacy can contribute to increasing teacher hardiness, helping them manage stress in inclusive school teaching. Therefore, it is crucial for educational institutions to provide training and support to improve teacher efficacy and thus strengthen teacher resilience.

Development and validation of an instrument investigating elementary teachers’ sense of agency for science instruction

ABSTRACT This paper examines the development and validation of the Survey of Elementary Teachers’ Sense of Agency (SETSA), which investigates elementary science teachers’ sense of agency for teaching science. How elementary teachers express agency is critical to the learning outcomes of youth, particularly because elementary classrooms often serve as foundational sites for science experiences. Yet, elementary science teachers’ sense of agency for teaching science is understudied. Therefore, we developed the SETSA through a rigorous, systematic process. Development and validation of the SETSA occurred in multiple phases. Experts examined initial survey items, which were revised and consolidated into the 49-item SETSA. This was piloted with elementary teachers and the results led to a refined version. This later survey was administered to current teachers in elementary classrooms throughout the United States, with 1680 teachers responding. Analyses supported a robust, 10-factor model, which is consistent with frameworks and constructs in the current literature. Factors included in an elementary teacher's sense of agency for teaching science were: structures, science teacher identity, relationships, emotions, experience, professional vision. Factors included in an elementary teacher's expressions of that agency were: structure negotiation, science teacher identity negotiation, change in teacher practice and teaching with a justice orientation.

Rural and Urban Kindergarten Teachers’ Self-Efficacy: Implications for the Implementation of the Standard-Based Curriculum in Ghana

The study examined rural and urban kindergarten teachers’ teaching efficacy and its implications for the implementation of the standard-based curriculum in Ghana. It also examined whether kindergarten teachers’ teaching efficacy differs in terms of teaching experience. It also sought to determine the influence of gender, academic and professional qualification, job satisfaction, and teaching and learning resources on teaching efficacy. The Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) was used to collect online data from 375 kindergarten teachers drawn from rural and urban school settings. Findings from the study showed that kindergarten teachers in rural school settings reported higher levels of teaching efficacy in the area of instruction and pupil engagement than their urban counterparts. Again, rural and urban kindergarten teachers’ teaching efficacy differs across the different categories of teaching experience in areas of instruction and engagement but not for classroom management. The findings further showed that job satisfaction did not influence kindergarten teachers’ teaching efficacy. It is concluded that the Ghana Education Service should organize continuing professional development programmes to boost and sustain kindergarten teachers’ self-efficacy in areas of instruction, classroom management, and engagement. Implications of the study’s findings to research and practice are also discussed.

Principal Support and Teacher Self-Efficacy as Predictors of Collective Teacher Efficacy

<p style="text-align: justify;">This study investigated the extent to which demographic variables, principal support and teacher self-efficacy contribute to the collective teacher efficacy. In the study, a non-probability purposive sample was used, which included 761 teachers working in compulsory primary schools in all parts of the Republic of Croatia. The first part of the administered online questionnaire provided data on sociodemographic characteristics of the respondents, while in the second part, the following scales were used: The Principal Support Scale, The Teacher Sense of Teacher Efficacy Scale and The Collective Teacher Efficacy Scale. The results of the performed regression analyses show that: 1) the demographic variables - workplace, promotion to a higher rank and principal support have a predictive value in explaining teachers’ self-efficacy; 2) an average number of students per class, promotion to a higher rank, principal support, teacher engagement and teaching strategies have a predictive value in explaining collective teacher efficacy. The findings of this study will be discussed in terms of their potential impact and future research.</p>

Pedagogical Content Knowledge and Job Motivation in School Teachers: The Mediating Role of Teaching Efficacy

The present study explored the relational dynamics of pedagogical content knowledge, teaching efficacy, and job motivation in school teachers. Directed by the published literature, it was postulated that a) there would be a positive relationship among teaching efficacy, pedagogical content knowledge and job motivation, b) teaching efficacy and pedagogical content knowledge would predict job motivation and, c) teaching efficacy would mediate between pedagogical content knowledge and job motivation. After observing all stipulated ethical considerations, a purposive sample of 220 school teachers (n = 117 men, n = 103 women) with an age range of 20-50 years (M=33.54, SD=4.54) was recruited for this cross-sectional correlational research. Tools used were demographic information sheet, teacher sense of efficacy scale (short form), STEM pedagogical content knowledge scale and motivation at work scale. Findings showed that there was a significant negative relationship between teaching efficacy and pedagogical content knowledge, and between job motivation and pedagogical content knowledge in teachers. Moreover, pedagogical content knowledge was a significant predictor of job motivation and teaching efficacy mediated the relationship between pedagogical content knowledge and job motivation. Other than facilitating occupational and educational psychologists in their work with teachers, current findings can also be incorporated into policymaking of the education sector.

Impact of reciprocal peer observation on teacher collaboration perceptions

AbstractThis study aims to assess the effectiveness of reciprocal peer observation (RPO) as a form of professional collaboration among teachers in enhancing their perceptions of teacher collaboration within a school setting. The Teacher Collaboration Perceptions Questionnaire (TCPQ) was specifically designed and validated for this purpose, using exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. The study employed a longitudinal observational design, with 400 teachers in a pre/post‐test study. The impact of RPO was examined on three dimensions related to professional collaboration: collaborative school culture, collective agency and teachers' attitudes towards collaboration. The results revealed that participants' perceptions of collaboration improved significantly after the implementation of RPO. The study confirms the utility of RPO as a professional collaborative practice that can foster changes in teachers' perceptions of the collaborative school culture, teachers' sense of collective agency and teachers' preference for collaboration over individual work. The study concludes with a discussion of its educational implications.

The impact of distributed leadership on teacher commitment: The mediation role of teacher workload stress and teacher well‐being

AbstractThis research aims to investigate the relationship between distributed leadership in a school and teacher commitment, emphasising the mediating roles of teachers' workload stress and teacher well‐being using the Teaching and Learning International Survey dataset 2018 with 47 regions. Structural equation modelling on pooled and separate country samples was used to analyse the data. Results indicate that the impact of distributed leadership on teacher commitment is mediated by workload stress and well‐being across all jurisdictions, with a few exceptions. The study also suggests that distributed leadership is necessary to support teacher well‐being via the lens of their workload, which may lead to an increase in teacher sense of commitment. The results recommend practitioners and policymakers support and sustain the distribution of decision‐making powers among the school community and establish a culture of collaboration and mutual responsibility for the operation of the school. In this way, a less stressful work environment and consequently increased teacher mental and physical well‐being and commitment might be possible.

INFLUENCING FACTORS AND IMPROVING COUNTERMEASURES OF CAREER HAPPINESS OF YOUTH KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS IN Z PROVINCE

Young teachers are an important factor in the development of the early childhood education industry. Their physical and mental health is not only about themselves but also about children's spiritual and future growth. The standard of kindergarten development should pay attention not only to the growth index of children but also to the happiness index of teachers. It is the common goal of the country, the school, and the teacher to improve the professional happiness sense of the young teachers. This research sampled 273 participants through 3 samplings. The participants of this sample are 35-year-old young teachers in Z province, and questionnaires were conducted on first-line kindergarten teachers in 7 cities of Zhejiang Province. Non-experimental quantitative research was used in this study. The results showed that the nature of kindergartens in Z province had a significant positive effect on the psychological well-being and emotional well-being of young teachers (p<0.01). Private kindergartens felt more satisfied or happier than private kindergartens and married kindergartens felt more satisfied or happier than unmarried kindergartens. The performance of career happiness of young preschool teachers aged 25 is significantly lower than that of beginning teachers in other teaching age stages, and countermeasures are proposed according to the analysis results.

Which ideas, when, and why? An experienced teacher's in‐the‐moment pedagogical reasoning about facilitating student sense‐making discussions

AbstractTeaching to support students' sense‐making is challenging. It requires continuous, context‐dependent decision‐making about which student ideas to pursue, when, how, and why. This paper presents a single case study of an experienced teacher, Nadine, as an illustrative case in order to provide a rich description of this teacher's decisional episodes. Specifically, we characterize Nadine's pedagogical reasoning for decisions to make space for or close down student sense‐making while facilitating whole‐class discussions. We analyzed video recordings of (1) Nadine's classroom teaching over the course of two instructional units, (2) classroom moments tagged by Nadine or researchers in the midst of her teaching capturing her rationales for instructional decisions, and (3) interviews about those tagged moments. Using constant‐comparative analytic methods, we identified three dimensions of criteria that Nadine considered in her decisions about whether to pursue student ideas: (1) disciplinary potential, (2) potential for fostering the classroom community, and (3) curricular considerations. We present four episodes that feature Nadine's reasoning, two in which she intentionally made space for student sense‐making and two in which she intentionally closed down lines of student reasoning. Regardless of the decision, the criteria Nadine considered were sometimes aligned, supporting a straightforward decision, and other times created tensions. Across four episodes, we show how Nadine navigated multidimensional criteria; considered students' long‐term trajectories; and considered for whom pursuing sense‐making would be beneficial. We argue that these navigational considerations might serve as focal points as teachers, researchers, and professional learning facilitators make sense of teachers' instructional decisions as they occur during instruction and that leveraging them to open opportunities for discourse with teachers can support complex teaching practices.

Preschool Teachers' Sense of Humor and Children's Appreciation of Humor

This study, which was conducted with 364 preschool children and 47 preschool teachers in order to determine the relationship between preschool teachers' sense of humor and children's appreciation of the value of humor in their classrooms, is a relational survey model. The data of the study were collected with "Personal Information Form", "Multidimensional Sense of Humor Scale- Updated Turkish Form" used to determine teachers' sense of humor, "Humor Observation Form'' prepared by the researcher to determine children's appreciation of the value of humor, and "Humor Observation Form" and used with a 5-minute video with examples suitable for the stages in Paul McGhee's humor development theory. It was determined that preschool teachers' sense of humor was at a good level, and there was no significant difference between teachers' sense of humor and teachers' age, class size, and age of children in their classes. It was determined that the sense of humor of teachers with a seniority of 11-15 years was significantly higher than those with a seniority of 16 years and above. It was determined that children's appreciation of the value of humor was at a moderate level, and there was no significant difference between the gender of the children and both their appreciation of the value of humor and their level of finding the video funny. It was determined that there was a significant difference between the ages of the children and both their appreciation of the value of humor and their level of finding the video funny. 61-72 month old children's levels of appreciating the value of humor and finding the video funny were higher than 48-60 month old children. It was determined that there was no significant relationship between teachers' sense of humor and children's appreciation of humor.

Adaptation of Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale Short Form into Turkish and Investigating of Measurement Invariance

Bu araştırmanın amacı Tschannen-Moran ve Woolfolk Hoy (2001) tarafından geliştirilen Öğretmen Öz Yeterliği Ölçeği Kısa Formu’nu Türkçeye uyarlamak ve cinsiyet, branş ve eğitim kademesi değişkenleri açısından ölçme değişmezliğini incelemektir. Araştırmanın çalışma grubu Türkiye’nin farklı illerindeki kamu okullarında görev yapan 704 öğretmenden oluşmaktadır. Verilerin analizinde doğrulayıcı faktör analizi ve çoklu grup doğrulayıcı faktör analizleri kullanılmıştır, ayrıca güvenirlik analizleri yapılmıştır. Doğrulayıcı faktör analizi sonucunda öz yeterlik ölçeği kısa formunun üç faktörlü yapısının Türk örnekleminden elde edilen veriler iyi uyum gösterdiği [CFI = .962, TLI = .950, RMSEA = .067, (%90 GA- 0.057, 0.076), SRMR = .032] belirlenmiştir. Ölçekte yer alan maddelerin standartlaştırılmış faktör yükleri .647 ile .818 arasında değişmektedir. Ölçeğin güvenirliğini belirlemek için hesaplanan Cronbach alfa (α) katsayılarının .84 ile .91 arasında, birleşik güvenirlik katsayılarının (ω) ise .78 ile .91 değiştiği tespit edilmiştir. Ölçme değişmezliği açısından öz yeterlik ölçeği kısa formunun cinsiyet, branş ve eğitim kademesi değişkenleri arasında biçimsel, metrik ve skalar düzeyde değişmezliğe sahip olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Bulgular öğretmen öz yeterliği ölçeği kısa formunun geçerli ve güvenilir bir ölçme aracı olarak kullanabileceğini göstermiştir.

Öğretmenlerin Eğitim Yönetiminde Karşılaştıkları Ayrımcı Tutum ve Davranış Algılarının Anlaşılmasına Yönelik Veri Analizinin İncelenmesi

In this research, it is aimed to examine the data analysis aimed at understanding the perceptions of discriminatory attitudes and behaviors encountered by teachers in educational administration. This study was conducted in schools in Bağcılar district of Istanbul Province under the Ministry of National Education. The method of this qualitative study is case science (phenomenology) and the data were interpreted by descriptive analysis. The participants of the study consist of 16 teachers from different branches at kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school levels. In the findings obtained, it was concluded that discriminatory practices in schools undermine the teacher's sense of justice and merit, teachers take on a structure aimed at questioning their work ethics, and even experience an intense lack of motivation to want to leave school. According to the results obtained according to the gender distribution, it is observed that male teachers are discriminated more in schools where the managers are women. On the contrary, male administrators also show favor to female teachers in the opposite context. Especially in the education sector, it is very important for teachers to feel morale, motivation, work merit, a sense of equality in the sense of developing a sense of belonging to the institution. Based on these results, development can be achieved in areas such as sharing tasks fairly, having an objective point of view, and adopting the principle of equal distance in order to reduce discriminatory actions. Key Words: Teacher, Education Management, Discrimination, Data Analysis

The Relationship between Attitudes Towards Supervision and Perceived Self-Efficacy in Physical Education Teaching Majors

The purpose of this study is to examine whether physical education teacher candidates' self-efficacy perceptions and attitudes towards supervision differ according to gender and grade level (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades) and whether there is a relationship between self-efficacy perceptions and attitudes toward supervision. A total of 147 teacher candidates, 72 women, and 75 men participated in the research. The mean age of female teacher candidates is 21.51, while it is 21.65 for males. The Demographic Information Form, Teacher Sense of Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form, and Attitudes Toward Supervision Scale were used to collect data in the study. The findings obtained in the study revealed that the physical education teacher candidates' self-efficacy perceptions and attitudes toward supervision did not differ according to the variables of gender and grade levels, while the scores of perceived self-efficacy and attitudes toward supervision were high. In addition, it has been revealed that there is a positive and low-significant correlation between physical education teacher candidates’ self-efficacy perceptions and their attitudes toward supervision. As a result of the research, it was observed that the self-efficacy perceptions and attitudes of the physical education teacher candidates toward supervision were high, and the attitudes toward supervision increased as the perceived self-efficacy level increased.

The Relationship between Teaching-Learning Conceptions and Sense of Self-Efficacy of Pre-Service EFL Teachers

Teachers’ teaching-learning conceptions and sense of selfefficacy are important constructs that can affect each other and directly influence the effectiveness of teaching. This study investigates the relationship between teachinglearning conceptions and sense of self-efficacy of preservice EFL teachers using a mixed-method research design. The quantitative data were collected from 374 4th grader pre-service teachers who were studying ELT in state universities. This study used the Turkish versions of the Teaching and Learning Conceptions Questionnaire and Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale. Open-ended questions were used to gather qualitative data from 42 pre-service teachers who consented to respond. Descriptive statistical techniques and content analysis were used for the data analysis. The study found that teachers adopted a constructivist conception more than a traditional one. The results also suggest that the pre-service teachers have high level of self-efficacy beliefs. The results showed that preservice teachers' teaching-learning conceptions and sense of self-efficacy were related. High and positive correlations were found between their constructivist conception and efficacy for student engagement, efficacy for instructional strategies, and efficacy for classroom management. The preservice teachers felt efficacious in instructional strategies, student involvement, and classroom management. Their traditional conception is negatively correlated to their efficacy for student engagement.Taking the results into consideration, implications and suggestions were formulated for the main stakeholders of language teacher education.

Early Childhood Educators’ Physical Literacy Predict Their Self-Efficacy and Perceived Competence to Promote Physical Activity

ABSTRACT Research Findings: Early childhood educators’ own disposition has been suggested to contribute to their ability to promote physical literacy (PL) in young children. There is currently limited evidence of educators’ own PL, and studies have not explored how PL relates to teaching knowledge and behaviors in the early childhood education (ECE) context. This current study examined the relationships of teachers’ perceived PL with their self-efficacy and perceived professional competence in relation to promoting physical activities in ECE settings. A total of 338 early childhood educators from Hong Kong responded to an online survey that consisted of the Perceived Physical Literacy Inventory (PPLI), Chinese version of the Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale (C-TSE(R)), and Teachers’ Professional Competence (TPC) questionnaire. The findings revealed that educators’ perceived PL is moderately associated with self-efficacy and professional competence when conducting physical activities in ECE contexts. The PL attributes of self-expression and communication, and knowledge and understanding were significant predictors of educators’ self-efficacy in classroom management and teaching strategies, as well as their professional knowledge and attitudes. Practice or Policy: The findings suggest that ECE teachers’ training should consider aspects of their own PL to enable their self-efficacy and perceived competence for conducting physical activities in ECE settings and thereby promote the PL of young children.

Making Sense of Pre-Service English Teachers’ Practicum Experiences: Perspectives on Teacher Learning

This study aimed to explicitly articulate how one learns how to teach English. Guided by sociocultural perspectives on teacher learning (Johnson, 2009), preservice English teachers’ practicum experiences were examined to gain insights into how they come to know what they know about language teaching. Ten preservice English teachers recalled and reflected on their practicum experiences through a semi-structured interview and reflection logs. Their teaching practices were also documented through audio/video recorded classroom observations with a follow-up stimulated recall interview. Making sense of learning experiences during practicum revealed that teacher learning was enabled by the guidance of cooperating teachers, the use of symbolic mediation tools for teaching, and challenges in the teaching-learning environment. Recognizing these aspects of teacher learning can support teacher preparation. Teacher education practices should explicitly integrate them into learning experiences that can prepare preservice English teachers for the complex realities of practice.

Innovating Professional Development Program for Teachers: From theory-based to a more collaborative, practical, and reflective perspective

Education and curriculum require a constant revision to attend the needs and assets of an everchanging society. In this sense, efforts to become more competent within the society have historically guided educators to engage in professional development programs that allow them to update and adjust their instructional practices for effective learning. However little improvement has been documented from using traditional theories and uncontextualized programs of professional development, mainly affecting learners’ academic success. The purpose of this study is (1) to explore how novel and experienced faculty members described their experience using Peer-Observation of Teaching as a novel structure to support their professional development; and (2) to discover whether a semester long intervention had an impact in the perception of teacher sense of efficacy of other faculty members and themselves. The study was applied for a semester long in three different higher education institutions across Ecuador. Data was gathered using a mixed method approach. For the qualitative part, a questionnaire with open-ended questions was given, followed by two rounds of focus groups; for the quantitative part, a peer-observation tool adapted from the Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale was applied to measure teachers’ abilities and self-efficacy perspective. The quantitative data was analyzed based on the three variables (student engagement, instructional strategies, and classroom management) through a two-tails paired sample t-test using SPSS software considering an alpha score of .05. The qualitative data was analyzed utilizing a constant comparative coding method. The results revealed differing degrees of experience based primarily on years of experience. While some experienced faculty members did not see much benefit in being observed from a less experienced peer, others expressed it was an opportunity to receive a fresh look at their performance. Novice faculty mostly saw benefits in being observed and provided feedback. Novice teachers did better on student engagement and instructional strategies while experienced faculty got higher scores in classroom management. It was concluded that using POT gave faculty members a valuable opportunity for a fresh and wise look at current teaching practices, as well as a space for improvement from two generations that complement each other.