In contemporary Chinese higher education, classroom lectures combined with a web-based learning support system are broadly applied. This study investigated what kind of feedback strategy could be effective in improving students' self-efficacy and course satisfaction in a blended learning context. Standard volitional messages were constructed and—along with traditional feedback content (knowledge of results and knowledge of correct response)—distributed to a large undergraduate class in China. Sixty-seven freshmen participated in this pure experimental study. Results indicated that students' learning self-efficacy and course satisfaction were significantly correlated. In addition, participants who received the knowledge of correct response plus volitional messages (KCR+V) showed greater course satisfaction than those who received other types of feedback messages. No significant difference emerged in self-efficacy. Future research directions are discussed. / Ph. D.

Clinical supervision of counselors in training is an integral part of the professional and personal development of counselors. Accrediting bodies in academia and licensure standards in most fields require beginning professionals to receive clinical supervision. During clinical supervision, supervisees frequently experience anxiety and the supervisees' self-efficacy, or belief about their ability to counsel clients, is affected by supervision. The questions addressed in this study were to what extent does clinical supervision affect supervisees' anxiety and self-efficacy and do different types of supervision have varying effects on supervisees' anxiety and self-efficacy. A meta-analysis comprised of ten studies was conducted to determine the influence of supervision on supervisees' anxiety and self-efficacy. Clinical supervision was found to have a medium effect, ES = .454 and ES = .430, on supervisees' anxiety. Clinical supervision had a large, ES = .655, effect on supervisees' self-efficacy. In addition, a qualitative review of the studies included in the meta-analysis yielded methodological concerns in the areas of adequate control group, sample size, representativeness of sample, and follow-up assessment. Due to the small number of studies meeting the meta-analysis criteria, quantitative findings were limited. Therefore, individual interviews with clinical supervisors and supervisees were conducted to corroborate or refute the findings of the meta-analysis and to lend multiple "voices" in an attempt to answer the research questions. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with nine supervisees and five supervisors in a Counselor Education program. The results of the interviews corroborated the finding of the meta-analysis that clinical supervision affects supervisees' anxiety and self-efficacy by increasing both. All types of supervision were described as increasing anxiety and self-efficacy with no particular type predominating. Limitations of the research and implications for educators, practitioners, and future research are discussed. A limitation of the meta-analysis was the relatively small number of existing studies meeting the criteria for inclusion. This limited the interpretation of the findings in terms of answering the research questions. The interview portion of the research was limited due to the use of a purposive sample, participants all being students from the same program, and the researcher was also a student in this program. / Ph. D.

College enrollment and graduation rates for African Americans remain lower than enrollment and graduation rates for middle and upper-class White students. The lower enrollment and graduation rates have an effect on the number of African American students who pursue the Ph.D. and other research doctorate degrees. In order to increase the number of African Americans and other underrepresented students in the Ph.D. pipeline, the United States Congress passed legislation that created the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program (McNair Scholars Program) in the mid-1980s. The purpose of the McNair Scholars Program is to prepare college students for doctoral studies and careers in academia through involvement in summer research internships and other scholarly activities. One way in which this program may prepare students is through the development of students' academic, research and social self-efficacy. To date, however little research has been conducted to see if the McNair Scholars Program has an effect on African American students' levels of self-efficacy. The purpose of this study was to compare levels of academic, research and social self-efficacy among African American pre- and post-McNair Scholar participants. Levels of self-efficacy were analyzed by McNair participant status (pre-McNair and post-McNair), gender, college and grade point average. The study employed a national sample of African American pre- and post McNair Scholar Program participants. Data were collected using the Graduate Education Self-Efficacy Scale (GESES), a 57-item instrument designed specifically for this study. Items for the survey were developed utilizing existing literature on academic, research and social self-efficacy. Results revealed significant differences in academic, research and social self-efficacy between African American pre- and post-McNair Scholar Program participants. There were no significant differences by gender on academic, research or social self-efficacy. Neither were significant differences found by college grade level on academic or social self-efficacy. There were, however, significant differences based on college grade level on research self-efficacy. There were also significant interaction effects between gender and college grade level on academic, research and social self-efficacy. The results suggest that participating in the McNair Scholars Program raises levels of academic, research and social self-efficacy among African American college students. / Ph. D.

Twenty Virginia Tech varsity football players, age 18-24, volunteered as subjects to examine the effects of wearing prophylatic knee sleeves/ braces on selected isokinetic measures (i.e. strength, power and endurance). Each subject performed the Biodex (Multi-Joint System 2AP) knee extension test in each of three experimental conditions: sleeved with the Don Joy Knee support (S-DJ); braced with the McDavid lateral knee support (B-MD); and the control, unsupported condition (C-UN). The order of experimental conditions and the specific knee tested were randomized. The subjects were administered a Biodex knee extension test at 60 deg/sec, 210 deg/sec, and 450 deg/sec. The test protocol consisted of five maximal repetitions at 60 deg/sec, twenty maximal repetitions at 210 deg/sec and thirty maximal repetitions at 450 deg/sec. The following isokinetic measures were recorded: (1) peak torque to body weight ratio at 60 deg/sec. (2) work to fatigue ratio at 210º and 450 deg/sec. (3) average power at 210º and 450 deg/sec, and (4) range of motion at 60º, 210º, and 450 deg/sec. One way repeated measures analysis of variance revealed significant difference ( p > .03 ) in peak torque to body weight ratio treatment groups; work to fatique ratio, average power and range of motion revealed no significant diference among the three experimental conditions. The investigator concluded that prophylatic knee sleeves/braces effects peak torque to body weight ratio; the effect of different levels of condition does not depend on what level of speed is present for work to fatigue, average power and range of motion. / Master of Science

In this world of fast-paced learning, training agencies often require their learners to acquire the knowledge and skills needed for a job at an expedited rate. Because of this rapid form of training, learners are sometimes uncertain about their abilities to execute task-based performances. This uncertainty can lead to a decrease in learners’ self-efficacy on expected task performance. In order to help with this training, trainers are using a variety of simulations and simulators to provide learners’ valuable and necessary training experiences. This mixed methods study explored the influence of high-fidelity virtual training simulators on learners’ self-efficacy. It used pre- and post-simulation-use surveys that combined general self-efficacy questions (Schwarzer & Jerusalem, 1995) and task-specific self-efficacy questions (Bandura, 1977, 1997, 2006; Bandura, Adams, Hardy, & Howells, 1980). This study had a sample size of 18 participants. It was assumed that the intent of providing learners with the vital experience needed to perform specific tasks in a high-fidelity virtual training simulator was to increase their self-efficacy on task-specific criteria. Instead, through surveys, observations, and interviews, the research revealed a decrease in learners’ self-efficacy due to heightened emotional arousal stemming from the learners’ experiences with the level of realism the simulator provide, as well as with breakdowns within the simulator. The breakdowns and the realism were the most influential aspects that influenced self-efficacy in this study. The significance of these findings shows that despite learners wanting to use high-fidelity virtual training simulators, improperly functioning simulators can negatively influence learners’ self-efficacy in task-based performances. / Ph. D.

Over the last twenty years, there has been an increase in teacher turnover and, in attempts to mitigate this issue, states and school districts have developed novice teacher mentoring programs. A Large Suburban School District implemented a novice teacher mentoring program during the 2021–2022 school year with the goal of providing novice teachers with a larger system of support to increase retention rates. The purpose of this research was to examine the relationship between novice teacher perceptions of a mentoring program and novice teacher perceptions of self–efficacy. Novice teachers (i.e., 1 to 3 years of teaching experience) received a survey to collect data on their perceptions of mentoring opportunities and perceptions of self–efficacy as it related to student engagement, instructional strategies, and classroom management. The survey also collected data on novice teachers’ demographic characteristics (e.g., age, gender, field of college degree, etc). Results of this study indicated that novice teachers who have a degree in the field of education have higher perceptions of self–efficacy compared to novice teachers whose degree was not in education. Additionally, a weak relationship was found between teachers’ perception of self–efficacy and their valuation of meeting with a mentor as a mentoring experience. Findings from this study may be used by school districts to evaluate novice teacher mentoring programs, to adapt the programs based on the needs of teachers in order to advance novice teacher self–efficacy and retain them in the profession.

OF THESIS Title: Self-efficacy in transitional moments with a focus on the transition from primary to lower secondary education Author: Bc. Barbora Kučerová Supervisor: PhDr. Simona Hoskovcová, PhD. Number of pages and characters: 74 pages and 155 289 characters Number of appendices: 2 Number of references: 79 Abstract: This diploma thesis considers the self-efficacy concept from the point of view of social cognitive theory. The main goal of this thesis is to investigate the differences in the level of pupils' academic self-efficacy as well as the emotional perception of the change during the transition from primary to lower secondary education. The research was made on a sample of 173 fifth-graders using a questionnaire where the level of their academic self-efficacy and emotional perception of the change was measured during 3 times - before the transition, after the transition and after the adaptation to the change. The results did not prove a statistically significant decrease of the level of academic self-efficacy during the transition. Against expectations the pupils' positive perception of the change was proven. Key words: self-efficacy, academic self-efficacy, transition, adaptation, change

The purpose of this study was to develop a questionnaire to measure career self-efficacy for undergraduates. The theoretical framework of the questionnaire was based on Bandura¡¦s self-efficacy theory. A total of 409 participants were selected by judgment sampling from the first- and second-grade undergraduate of six colleges in national Sun Yat-sen university. The newly developed career efficacy and motivation questionnaire (CEMQ) was modified from Taylor & Betz's CDMSE scale. The content validity was informed by three experts, and the data were analyzed by rating scale model (RSM) by ConQuest. After removing the items that did not fit the model, seventy-two items were retained in the CEMQ questionnaire.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether teachers' perceptions of self-efficacy and collective teacher efficacy are interrelated and how these two constructs may be impacted by teacher demographic characteristics, such as educational level, grade level taught, and number of years of teaching experience. This study focused entirely on the interrelationships of teacher efficacy and collective teacher efficacy in three suburban, conservative Christian schools in north Texas. Specifically, the demographic characteristics of age, gender, ethnicity, particular school campus, number of years teaching, number of years teaching at the current school, highest degree received, type of teacher certification, certification grade level and subject area, grade level taught, and particular subject taught were studied for the non-random, convenience sample of 216 kindergarten through twelfth grade teachers. A correlational analysis of teacher efficacy and collective teacher efficacy yielded a Pearson r of .35 at a statistically significant level (p < .01); combining these two variables with teacher demographic variables in multiple regression analyses confirmed the relationship between teachers' perceptions of teacher efficacy and collective efficacy at a statistically significant level (p < .001). A review of the squared structure coefficients in the first multiple regression analysis (R2 = .284, p < .001) showed that individual teachers' perceptions of collective teacher efficacy explained the largest amount (43%) of the variance in teacher efficacy, followed by years of teaching experience (17%) and number of years of teaching at the current school (14%). A review of the squared structure coefficients in the second multiple regression analysis (R2 = .395, p < .001) indicated that individual teachers' perceptions of teacher efficacy explained the largest amount of variance in collective teacher efficacy (31%), followed the elementary teacher variable (22%) and particular school (19%).

Anställningssituation har visat sig ha betydelsefulla faktorer för tilltron till den egna förmågan (self-efficacy) i utbildnings- och arbetssammanhang. Syftet med denna studie var att belysa studerande bemanningsanställdas upplevelse av self-efficacy gällande studier, nuvarande arbetsuppgifter samt framtida karriär i relation till anställningssituationen. Studien byggde på åtta kvalitativa intervjuer med studenter mellan 21–35 år och som arbetar inom bemanningsbranschen, varav fem kvinnor. Utifrån fenomenologisk analys och genom meningskoncentrering genererades temana Värdering av självet, egna erfarenheter och framtidsmöjligheter, Socialt stöd i arbetsmiljön, Ambivalens jobb-studier-livet, Varierande meningsfullhet i arbetssituationen, samt Trygghet och otrygghet i arbetet. Resultatet visade att anställningssituationen inkluderar faktorer som kan påverka self-efficacy både positivt och negativt. Studien visade som tidigare forskningar att self-efficacy är föränderlig och kan förstärkas eller försvagas. Resultatet kan för bemanningsanställda ge möjlighet att reflektera över sin arbetssituation, förstärka positiva effekter för self-efficacy och reducera negativa.