An Investigation of Teacher Efficacy: Understandings, Practices, and the Impact of Professional Development as Perceived by Elementary School Teachers

Autor/in	White, Arnold Jeffery
Titel	An Investigation of Teacher Efficacy: Understandings, Practices, and the Impact of Professional Development as Perceived by Elementary School Teachers
Quelle	(2014), (202 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit Ed.D. Dissertation, College of Saint Elizabeth
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Monographie
ISBN	978-1-3038-1209-5
Schlagwörter	Hochschulschrift; Dissertation; Elementary School Teachers; Teacher Effectiveness; Faculty Development; Teacher Attitudes; Teacher Behavior; Program Effectiveness; Mixed Methods Research; Focus Groups; Principals; Interviews; Elementary Schools; School Districts + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Thesis; Dissertations; Academic thesis; Elementary school; Teacher; Teachers; Grundschule; Volksschule; Lehrer; Lehrerin; Lehrende; Effectiveness of teaching; Instructional effectiveness; Lehrerleistung; Unterrichtserfolg; Lehrerverhalten; Teacher behaviour; Principal; Schulleiter; Interviewing; Interviewtechnik; School district; Schulbezirk
Abstract	The essential goal of schooling is to create learning experiences that promote student achievement for students of all abilities and talents. Teacher efficacy is a construct that supports this goal because it has been demonstrated to improve the teaching and learning process and therefore increase student achievement. The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which teacher efficacy is understood by the Maple Hill City School District's elementary school teachers and the extent teacher efficacy behaviors were practiced in the Maple Hill City School District's three elementary schools. Additionally, the study sought to investigate the effects of the district's professional development program on teacher efficacy for the elementary school teachers. This was a mixed method study using both qualitative and quantitative data sources. Data was collected using a modified version of the Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale, two teacher focus groups, and two elementary school principal interviews. These sources were used to investigate the following three research questions: 1) To what extent do elementary school teachers in the Maple Hill City School District understand the construct of teacher efficacy? 2) To what extent are teacher efficacy behaviors practiced in the Pre-Kindergarten-Grade 6 classrooms in the Maple Hill City School District? 3) To what extent does the Maple Hill City School District's professional development program support teachers' knowledge and practices of teacher efficacy behaviors? Eight findings emerged after analyzing the data. These findings indicated that the teachers had a strong understanding of teacher efficacy and practiced teacher efficacy behaviors associated with improving the teaching and learning process. However, the findings also illustrated that the Maple Hill City School District needed to include teacher efficacy as part of a sustained professional development program. Recommendations were provided to facilitate the improvement and strengthening of teacher efficacy across the Maple Hill City School District. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.] (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01