This research analyzed the effects of the Marzano Teacher Observation training on the self-efficacy of teacher observers. In this study, seventy-four teacher observers reported their self-efficacy in the areas of evaluating student engagement, evaluating classroom management, and evaluating instructional strategies in pre and post surveys. The results of the surveys were analyzed with a paired samples t-test. This study found that the Marzano Teacher Observation system increases the self-efficacy of teacher observers. This study was delimited to participants of a Marzano Teacher Observation training conducted in the fall of 2014. The findings of this study will inform executive school leaders of the impact Marzano Teacher Observation training has on the self-efficacy of teacher observers.

The goal of this research was to determine the value and impact of student-teacher interactions in relation to student motivation and achievement. It was further intended that the results of this study would add to the body of knowledge and resources available to enhance the learning experience and influence student success. In order for this to happen, student and teacher perceptions of their interactions were analyzed, as well whether or not this interaction significantly impacted motivation and achievement. The results of this study provided strong arguments in favor of equipping teachers with the appropriate resources and assistance to appropriately meet the needs of their students beyond academic instruction. The slightly negative relationship between motivation and achievement isolated the issue at hand: finding ways to capitalize on these relationships, which will act as catalysts for student achievement The literature review and results of this study found that teacher-student relationships are crucial to student success. Pearson Correlation analysis proved positive correlations between teacher-student interaction and motivation, as well as positive teacher-student interaction and achievement. It however, illustrated a negative relationship between motivation and achievement. Suggested uses for the study included the development of workshops for educators and administrators that may have a positive effect on the proven significance of the teacher-student relationship problem. The results suggest the need for teachers to be provided with appropriate resources and assistance to meet the needs of their students beyond academic instruction. It also suggests providing students and teachers with measurable and attainable goals to create experiences with and exposure to success. Further, there needs to a balance where all students are challenged and where the students who need additional assistance are provided with the appropriate scaffolds.

A number of studies have addressed the correlations between transformational leadership and its impact on the self-efficacy of teachers. This quantitative, non-experimental study design adds to this growing body of knowledge by examining the transformational leadership qualities of school principals as perceived by female teachers, and its influence on their self-efficacy. For this study, the targeted population was 208 teachers within a single all-female school district in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. At the time of this study, this school district included eight all-female public schools, which were all similar with respect to physical infrastructure, curricula, number of teachers and students, and the socioeconomic status of the local population. Two validated survey instruments were used for this study: (a) the Principal Leadership Questionnaire (PLQ) for assessing transformational leadership characteristics; and (b) the Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) to evaluate the teachers' sense of efficacy. The data were formatted using Qualtrics survey software and all data were analyzed in SPSS (V26). In total, data from 85 surveys were analyzed. Descriptive and statistical analyses indicated that the surveyed teachers did perceive that their school leaders' behavior reflected transformational leadership characteristics. Pearson's correlation analysis was utilized to determine the relationship between teachers' perceptions of their principals' transformational leadership and their sense of self-efficacy, revealing a statistically significant positive correlation between the two variables. A bivariate analysis was conducted using Pearson correlation coefficients and a 2-tailed test to investigate the relationship between all dimensions. The correlation indicated that vision, modeling, and goal acceptance were significantly correlated to efficacy for student engagement and instructional strategies. Conversely, results indicated the absence of statistically significant correlations between individualized support and student engagement; similarly, no correlation was found between intellectual stimulation and high expectations with any of the teacher-efficacy factors. Multiple linear regression was used to examine whether the moderating factors of teaching experience and level of education would represent significant predictors for the linkage between principals' transformational leadership and teachers' sense of efficacy. The results showed that neither variable was a significant predictor for teachers' views of their leaders' transformational behaviors and their level of efficacy. Finally, t-test analysis was used to examine the differences between elementary and secondary teachers' perceptions of their principals' transformational leadership behaviors. A significant difference was found between teachers' perceptions of their principals transformational leadership style and the school level (e.g., elementary, middle, or high school). The results from this study are consistent with the theoretical framework that transformational leadership theory has a positive impact on teachers self-efficacy, as well as support findings from prior studies in this area of educational research. The findings from this investigation provide useful data to those studying educational leadership, as well as school principals, administrators, and other leaders who play significant roles in changing, facilitating, and improving education. Additional studies are recommended to determine if this relationship exists in all-male schools in Saudi Arabia or in other countries. / Doctor of Philosophy / A number of scholars have addressed the relationship between transformational leadership style and teacher self-efficacy, indicating that teachers display increased levels of self-efficacy when working under the direction of a principal who practices transformational leadership. This quantitative, non-experimental study design examined the transformational leadership qualities of school principals as perceived by female educators teaching in all-female public schools located within a single school district in Saudi Arabia, as well as how this relationship impacted their sense of self-efficacy. Two survey instruments were used: The Principal Leadership Questionnaire (PLQ), and the Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES). Resulting data analysis indicated that teachers did perceive that their school leaders' behavior reflected transformational leadership characteristics. Moreover, the findings from the study confirmed a significant positive correlation between the principals' transformational leadership and teachers' self-efficacy. This study is expected to contribute to a greater understanding of the effect of leadership practices on the self-efficacy of teachers, with a corollary understanding of how this relationship may enhance educational outcomes for students.

Recent years have witnessed a growing concern for individuals’ abilities to effectively manage work and family. Employees are demanding balance between work and personal life and employers, who are interested in attracting and retaining talent, are looking for ways to respond. One way employers are responding is by implementing work-family initiatives and encouraging a family-supportive culture. In this thesis, I investigate the relationship of such resources (family-supportive organizational perceptions-FSOP and perceptions of implementation of work-family initiatives) and contextual demands (role overload) with the work-family interface (work-to-family conflict and enrichment). In response to research calls to highlight the role of the individual in shaping the relationships between work and family experiences, I introduce the construct and measure of balance self-efficacy. I define balance self-efficacy as one’s beliefs about one’s own ability to manage resources, demands, and stakeholders from the work and family domains. I argue that balance self-efficacy mediates the relationships between resources and demands from one side and the work-family interface from the other side. I draw on the Conservation of Resources Theory and the Work-Home Resource Model to propose that balance self-efficacy is a personal resource that enables the individual to perceive less conflict and more enrichment between work and family. I propose that balance self-efficacy is largely drawn from the individual’s perception of his or her context. Hypotheses were tested in a sample of 420 participants employed at a financial institution in the United Arab Emirates. Hypotheses were tested using multiple regression and Bootstrapping techniques using PROCESS by Preacher and Hayes (2008). The results show that the individual’s cognitive assessment of their own ability to manage work and family (balance self-efficacy) relates negatively to work-to-family conflict and positively to work-to-family enrichment, thus suggesting that balance self-efficacy is not only a resilience resource that employees refer to in moments of conflict but also an enriching resource that allows the individual to view participation in the work domain as beneficial for participation in the family domain. Results also suggest that the employee’s perception of the messages emitted by the organization in the form of perceptions of family supportiveness and perceptions of implementation of work-family initiatives relate positively to an increased sense of balance self-efficacy. Contextual demands, in the form of role overload, relate negatively to balance self-efficacy. This thesis aims to contribute to the resource-view of the work-family interface and highlight personal agency in determining perceptions of conflict and enrichment between work and family. It does so by focusing on the individual’s assessment of their beliefs in their own ability to manage work and family and the role of organizational context in determining that sense of efficacy. By doing so, the purpose is to shed the light on the malleable aspects of the work-family experiences that can be positively manipulated. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

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<p>This dissertation reports the development of a scale to measure childrens' and adolescents' self-perceptions regarding their involvement in those physical activities typical of youth. Self-efficacy theory is used as a perspective from which to view these perceptions. The test-retest reliability, and both the construct and predictive validity of this scale are investigated and established. The development and testing of a Participation Questionnaire and a Teacher's Evaluation form are also reported herein.</p> / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)