This study aimed to measure teachers’ self-efficacy for teaching students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Teacher self-efficacy refers to the belief teachers hold about their ability to affect student learning and has been shown to change teachers’ motivation, stress levels, and amount of given effort (Klassen, Tze, Betts, & Gordon, 2011). Numerous studies have dealt with the measurement of this construct and developed measures that assess teachers in different domains and populations; however, only one study (Ruble, Toland, Birdwhistell, McGrew, & Usher, 2013) has attempted to measure within the population of students with ASD. The purpose of the current study was to develop and pilot a new measure, the Teacher Self-Efficacy for Autism Scale (TSEAS), expand the construct to the target population, and provide sources of validity evidence. Results indicated that the TSEAS represented a unidimensional scale and latent correlation analyses suggested that the TSEAS has a positive correlation with a well-known teacher self-efficacy measure and has a low, positive correlation with a job satisfaction instrument. With continued refinement, the TSEAS can support others who wish to measure this construct and future application of the methods employed in building this scale can be applied to other scales with minor revisions.

Submitted by Filipe dos Santos (fsantos@pucsp.br) on 2017-11-07T11:43:38Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Débora Valim Cirino Bordini.pdf: 1275963 bytes, checksum: 04b1b28603696b6ba604366609a2d7b7 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-11-07T11:43:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Débora Valim Cirino Bordini.pdf: 1275963 bytes, checksum: 04b1b28603696b6ba604366609a2d7b7 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-09-26 / The purpose of this research is to carry out a meta-evaluative study of the Teaching Assessment in PUC-SP. The specific goals are to study this evaluation, considering its usefulness for the work of the institution's managers and teachers; identify the most evaluated and least favorable assessment points, analyzing the procedures and execution of the evaluation process. The PUC-SP Teaching Assessment is an evaluation project based on institutional self-assessment. It is an assessment of a formative nature, aimed at improving the pedagogical teaching practice and courses. Applied semesterly to professors and undergraduate students, it is constituted by information regarding the evaluation of the teaching performance and the teaching conditions of the Institution. In order to achieve the intended goals, managers of a PUC-SP undergraduate course were consulted. The research data were obtained through a questionnaire elaborated based on the characteristics of the Teaching Assessment and guidelines of the Joint Committee on Standars for Educational Evaluation, which aimed to improve program evaluations, grouped 30 evaluative guidelines in four categories of excellence: usefulness, viability, ethics and precision. Although the four categories idealized by the Committee are relevant for meta-evaluation activities, this research was developed based on the guidelines contained in the standards "comprehensiveness and selection of information; clarity of reports and evaluation impact" of the "utility" category. The main authors that support this study are Worthen, Sanders and Fitzpatrick (2004), Santos Guerra (2007), Dias Sobrinho (2008, 2003, 2001 and 2000), Ristoff (2000), Ristoff, Dias Sobrinho and Balzan, Ristoff and Dias Sobrinho (2000). As a result of this research it was observed that the managers of the undergraduate course recognize the usefulness of the Teaching Assessment for the pedagogical work and its benefit to the University, however, they pointed out that the low percentage of participation of the teachers and students interferes in the use of the assessment data. The research also made it possible to perceive the lack of awareness actions that contribute to the understanding of the objectives of the evaluation by students and teachers as well as the support for the use of evaluation results / O objetivo geral desta pesquisaé realizar um estudo meta-avaliativo da Avaliação da Docência na PUC-SP. Os objetivos específicos se constituem em estudar essa avaliação, considerando sua utilidade para o trabalho dos gestores e professores da Instituição; identificar os pontos mais bemavaliados e os menos favoráveis da avaliação, analisando os procedimentos e execuçãodo processo avaliativo. A Avaliação da Docência da PUC-SP é um projeto de avaliação procedente da autoavaliação institucional. É uma avaliação de natureza formativa que visa ao aperfeiçoamento da prática pedagógica docente e dos cursos. Aplicada semestralmente aos professores e estudantes de graduação, ela constitui-se por informações referentes à avaliação do desempenho docente e às condições de ensino da Instituição. Para atingir os objetivos pretendidos, foram consultados gestores de um curso de graduação da PUC-SP. Os dados da pesquisa foram obtidos por meio de questionário elaborado com base nas características da Avaliação da Docência e orientações do Comitê Misto sobre Diretrizes para a Avaliação Educacional que, visando ao aperfeiçoamento das avaliações de programas, agrupou 30 diretrizes avaliativas em quatro categorias de excelência: utilidade, viabilidade, ética e precisão. Embora as quatro categorias idealizadas pelo Comitê sejam relevantes para atividades de meta-avaliação, esta pesquisa se desenvolveu por meio das orientações contidas nos padrões “abrangência e seleção da informação; clareza dos relatórios e impacto da avaliação” constantes da categoria “utilidade”. Os principais autores que subsidiam este estudo são: Worthen, Sanders e Fitzpatrick (2004), Santos Guerra (2007), Dias Sobrinho (2008, 2003, 2001 e 2000), Ristoff (2000), Ristoff, Dias Sobrinho e Balzan (2005), Ristoff e Dias Sobrinho (2000). Como resultado desta pesquisa, observou-se que os gestores do curso de graduação reconhecem a utilidade da Avaliação da Docência para o trabalho pedagógico e seu benefício para a Universidade, no entanto apontaram que o baixo percentual de participação dos professores e estudantes interfere no aproveitamento dos dados da avaliação. A pesquisa permitiu perceber também a carência de ações de sensibilização que contribui para a compreensão dos objetivos da avaliação pelos estudantes e professores, bem como o apoio para o uso dos resultados avaliativos

abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the community of practice model in providing professional development to improve K-12 teacher’s knowledge, skills, self-efficacy with regard to the implementation of personal learning. The study also examined the extent to which the community created value for individuals and the organization. The study employed two theoretical frameworks: Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy and Wenger’s communities of practice. The study employed a concurrent mixed methods approach. Eighteen teachers participated in a 9-month blended learning professional development focused on the implementation of personal learning. Participants took pre and post self-efficacy tests. In addition, qualitative data was collected from feedback surveys, online postings, a research journal, and individual interviews. The teachers demonstrated greater levels of self-efficacy with regard to the implementation of personal learning after their participation in the professional development community. Teachers reported increased confidence with regard to personal learning in the areas of planning, risk-taking, implementation, making modifications for continuous improvement, and sharing their knowledge with others. The teachers also reported learning about themselves, their students and colleagues, as well as gaining knowledge of content related to teaching, and personal learning. Participants reported the development of a variety of skills including design and problem-solving skills, technology skills, and facilitation and PL strategies. They also reported changes in certain dispositions such as flexibility and open-mindedness. The community created value for both the individuals and the organization. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Leadership and Innovation 2018

Teacher self-efficacy (TSE) has been linked to the academic success of students. This association has been found in contexts where teachers have received training relevant to working with the student population being served. In the suburban Pennsylvania school district targeted in this study, there was little district-sponsored professional development (PD) available to general education teachers regarding strategies for teaching students with disabilities in the inclusion setting. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to determine whether a difference exists in perceived TSE when instructing in the inclusion setting compared with the traditional setting, and whether an association exists linking prior experience and organizational support in the form of PD with TSE. Bandura's social cognitive theory framed this study. A sample of 99 secondary general education teachers completed a 3-part online survey including the TSES and TSES-Learning Disabilities (LD) scales measuring self-efficacy in the traditional and inclusion settings, and demographic questions that served as potential predictors of self-efficacy. Correlated t tests and partial correlations were used to test for differences in perceived TSE across the inclusion and traditional settings and to test whether demographic factors were associated with TSE. Teachers perceived themselves as less efficacious in the inclusion setting when compared to instructing general education students in a traditional classroom, and setting-specific training was the greatest predictor of TSE. An inclusion PD program was created focusing on strategies for teaching students with disabilities in the inclusion setting. This endeavor may advance positive social change by increasing teacher self-efficacy and ultimately student achievement.

The aim of this investigation was to predict the extent of curriculum implementation in early childhood education from several variables defined as (1) school related factors, (2) teacher demographics, (3) teaching beliefs, and (4) teacher self-efficacy beliefs. A total of 308 early childhood teachers employed in public schools in the central districts of Ankara, Turkey, selected through cluster sampling, composed the sample of this study. Data were collected with the instrument including Curriculum Implementation Scale, Turkish Version of the Teachers&rsquo / Sense of Efficacy Scale, Teacher Beliefs Survey, and Personal Information Form. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to provide evidence for validity and reliability of the scales. Two separate hierarchical multiple regression analyses were, moreover, employed at the alpha level of .025 to answer research questions. The results overall demonstrated that teacher self-efficacy and teaching beliefs significantly predicted the extent early childhood teachers implemented current curriculum as regards content selection and learning process, while teacher demographics were only significant for the extent of curriculum implementation regarding learning process. On the other hand, school related factors did not contribute to the extent of curriculum implementation for both content selection and learning process. In particular, constructivist teaching beliefs and teacher efficacy beliefs for student engagement and instructional strategies explained the extent of curriculum implementation regarding content selection. Considering the implementation of learning process, teachers&rsquo / years of experience was, moreover, found to be a significant predictor along with constructivist teaching beliefs and teacher efficacy beliefs for student engagement and instructional strategies.

Educators are commonly concerned about how to trigger students' interest in the classroom, as well as how to create a learning experience in which students are engaged and motivated to invest effort and time. Similarly, researchers have explored these variables and aimed to establish a better understanding of how students' interest is developed. Yet, less attention has been paid to teacher self-disclosure as a factor in students' learning experiences and interest development. Although teacher self-disclosure has commonly been addressed in connection with the teacher-student relationship it has not been linked to interest development. Therefore, with the goal of exploring the construct of teacher self-disclosure, this study explored associations and interactions of perceptions of teacher self-disclosure and of students' individual and situational interest in a language learning context. In addition, students' ratings of the learning experience and intended effort were added to investigate associations between these student variables and their perceptions of teacher self-disclosure and interest. Data were collected in language classes of 16 different instructors. In total, 185 students participated in the qualitative part of the study, Phase 1, by filling out surveys at the beginning and end of the semester. For the main analysis, correlation and regression analyses were used in order to explore the relations between students' perceptions of teacher self-disclosure and initial individual interest, situational interest, the learning experience, and intended effort. Further, a total of nine instructors and eight students participated in the qualitative part, Phase 2, by agreeing to be observed and interviewed. Here, the focus was on describing and assessing the use of teacher self-disclosure in language classes. Results indicated that teachers were rated as varying in their self-disclosure, but that self-disclosure did not account for much of the variance in students' situational interest. Qualitative results showed that students perceived teacher self-disclosure to be an important communication strategy and one of the influential variables an instructor can bring into the learning experience. Overall, this study makes a contribution to understanding the complexity and interactions of student and teacher variables that are crucial to establish a functioning student-teacher relationship and subsequently healthy learning experience. / text

When the classroom environment is safe, reductions in aggression and an increase in compliance with rules can be expected. Teacher self-efficacy is therefore likely to play a significant role in teachers’ participation in the change process of implementing strategies that assist with classroom management styles. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between teacher self-efficacy and classroom management styles (reward strategies, preventive strategies, initial corrective strategies, and later corrective strategies). Teachers’ characteristics such as age, gender, education level, years of teaching experience, grade level taught, and class size were also explored to provide insight on teacher training and professional development programs. Survey data were collected from 43 teachers in urban and rural area of West Tennessee. The Spearman correlation analysis indicated a correlation between teacher self-efficacy and the four classroom management styles while the linear regression model showed that teacher characteristics do not predict teacher’s self-efficacy. This study revealed that the practice of preventive strategies by teachers had a greater impact on teacher self-efficacy scores compared to other classroom management strategies (reward strategies, initial corrective strategies, and later corrective strategies). Findings reinforce that school climate plays a significant role in the professional development of teachers and their use of specific classroom management practices. Addressing the gap between teachers’ efficacy beliefs and classroom decisions could help school professionals to develop interventions to minimize this gap, which could, in turn, promote positive school outcomes, such as students’ behavior adjustment and academic achievement.

Standardized test data indicate that student achievement in science is a problem both nationally and locally. At the study site, only a small percentage of fifth-grade students score at the advanced level on the Maryland state science assessment (MSA). In addition, the performance of African American, economically disadvantaged, and special education students is well below that of the general student population. Some studies have shown that teacher self-efficacy affects student achievement. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between fifth-grade teacher inquiry science instruction self-efficacy scores and the scores of their students on the MSA. Bandura's work on the effect of self-efficacy on human behavior provided the theoretical basis for this study. The research questions examined the relationship between teacher inquiry science instructional self-efficacy scores and students' science MSA scores as well as the relationship by student subgroups. A correlational research design was used. The Teaching Science as Inquiry survey instrument was used to quantify teacher self-efficacy, and archival MSA data were the source for student scores. The study included data from 22 teachers and 1,625 of their students. A 2-tailed Pearson coefficient analysis revealed significant, positive relationships with regard to overall student achievement (r20 = .724, p < .01) and the achievement of each of the subgroups (African American: r20 = .549, p < .01; economically disadvantaged: r20 = .655, p < .01; and special education: r18 = .532, p < .05). The results of this study present an opportunity for positive social change because the local school system can provide professional development that may increase teacher inquiry science instruction self-efficacy as a possible means to improve overall science achievement and to reduce achievement gaps.

Today's early childhood programs are required to have high-quality inclusive classrooms that serve preschool children with disabilities and diverse needs employed by highly-qualified early childhood teachers. The problem of this study was to describe the current status of pre-service teachers' perspectives of their own teacher self-efficacy, philosophical beliefs, and epistemological beliefs for inclusive practices in an early childhood classroom at the conclusion of an introductory early childhood education course. The study also looked at differences by certification track- EC-6 bilingual (n = 5), EC-6 generalist (n = 8), EC-6 ESL (n = 12), and all-level SpEd (n = 7). The participants (n = 32) were a convenient sample in an Introductory to Early Childhood Education course at a Texas university. Three post-course assignments (i.e. the final self-evaluation, the post-course philosophy of education, and the post-course successful early childhood inclusive teacher drawing) were given to students in an introductory early childhood course and were subjected to content analysis and thematic analysis. The TEIP survey was used as a framework for content analysis. The group-as-a-whole, the EC-6 bilingual, the EC-6 generalists, the all-level SpEd, and the EC-6 ESL certification track participants' teacher self-efficacy perspectives content showed high teacher self-efficacious comments in regards to "classroom environment and student expectations." The all-level SpEd certification track participants' data showed high high teacher self-efficacious comments similar to the group-as-a-whole, with additional comments focused on "providing an alternative explanation or example when students are confused," and "improving the learning of a student who is failing." The group-as-a-whole philosophical perspectives focused on "safety" (in the classroom), "parent involvement," "building relationships with students and parents," "student success," and "classroom environment." EC-6 bilingual certification participants' philosophical perspectives primarily focused on "student success" and "instructional strategies." All-level SpEd certification participants focused on "parent involvement" and "classroom environment." EC-6 generalists certification participants' philosophical perspectives focused on "classroom environment," "community of learners," "parent involvement," and "collaboration with other educators." EC-6 ESL certification track participants' philosophical perspectives focused on "parent communication/parent-teacher communication" and "student success." The group-as-a-whole and all certification track epistemological perspectives focused on (a) "monitor and adjust," (b) "know your students," (c) "awareness," (d) "caring" (about your students), and (e) "teacher character traits needed." The one exception was the EC-6 generalists and all-level SpEd certification track participants adding the focus of "teaching strategies/strategies" and "informal assessments" respectively. The findings revealed that the participants' own experiences, past and present teacher models, respected individuals, and enacted course curriculum(s) influenced their teacher self-efficacy, philosophical, and epistemological perspectives. Implications from this study include adding (a) a focus on education laws and policies to the introductory early childhood course to provide a broader understanding about inclusion, (b) more enacted curriculum to include application to theory to encourage research-based/best practices in future classrooms, and (c) using a mind shift from "what is the disability" to "what is the ability" in more wholistic teacher preparation courses versus silo-track teacher preparation courses.

Combined with advancements in technology, prior research investigating the teacher-student relationship has radically changed the way we teach and learn in online education. This study examined the way teacher self-disclosure (TSD) influenced student motivation to enroll in an online course and altered their affect, or feelings, toward the teacher when applied within a purely online learning setting. The experiment took place online and was built within a Boston University’s learning management system (LMS), Blackboard Learn. In the online environment, TSD was controlled to provide high levels of male and female TSD in two treatment groups and a complete absence of TSD in two control groups. Out of the 336 Master of Social Work (MSW) students that responded to the recruitment email, 84 students were placed in one of four online settings led by fictional male and female teachers. Students in the treatment groups were granted access to male or female TSD via a Meet the Professor tab within the online learning environment. This tab provided students with access to content collected from social media websites, such as LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, and Twitter on a single web page. The social media content displayed personal and professional information about these fictional instructors and were used to create TSD in the sample online course. The study participants were instructed to explore their assigned sample course not including (control) or including (treatment) TSD. Before and after exploring the sample course, participants completed pre- and post-surveys measuring their motivation to engage in the online course materials, their affect toward the teacher (ATT), and their perceptions of TSD within the online learning environment. Hypothesis testing using ANCOVA, correlation, t-test, and Chi-squared procedures revealed no statistical significance. Findings include recommendations for methodological requirement need to explore the complexities of the teacher-student relationship within a purely online learning environment.