Recent research examining collective efficacy beliefs has generated a plethora of promising findings about their impact on group functioning. However, questions regarding the nature of collective efficacy beliefs across diverse educational organizations and theoretical constructs are understudied in this area of research. Therefore, the current study examines the relationship between collective efficacy beliefs and building group capacity. Self-reported data were collected from participants involved in a 10-month collaborative effort to enhance their proficiency in giving more effective presentations in order to strengthen their divisions’ capacity to improve educational achievement in schools. This top-down approach to building capacity is common, yet challenging to develop and evaluate, especially for organizations consisting of multiple infrastructures. Research findings using separate simple linear regression analyses suggest that perceived collective efficacy highly predicts group capacity, as it accounted for nearly 76% of the variance in self-reported group capacity. In addition, vicarious experience was shown to highly predict collective efficacy beliefs and group capacity. Likewise, perceived autonomy support strongly predicted group capacity, however did not significantly predict collective efficacy beliefs, which has been implied in the recent literature (Goddard, Hoy & Woolfolk Hoy, 2004; Brinson & Steiner, 2007). These findings provide a foundation for future collective efficacy belief research and capacity building efforts in the nonprofit education sector. / text

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Current federal reforms require a highly-qualified teacher in every classroom to promote higher levels of student performance. In an attempt to provide a sufficient and sustainable number of highly qualified teachers in the workforce, alternative certification training programs have come alongside traditional college of education training programs. Proponents of alternative certification programs contend the process of on-the-job training will potentially address the problem of teacher shortages. However, opponents see these programs as an inadequate training process with future ramification for both teachers and students. As more and more classroom teachers are choosing alternative certification routes, there is growing uncertainty as to whether or not this is an effective way to train teachers. There is a substantial body of research that indicates a teacher's self efficacy beliefs can be an indicator of his or her performance in the classroom. Evidence demonstrates a relationship between teachers' beliefs about their personal ability to affect students' achievement and the outcomes of both the teachers' and the students' efforts (Tschannen-Moran & Woolfolk Hoy, 2007). By identifying strengths and weaknesses in self-efficacy beliefs, it is possible to provide interventions such as professional development or peer mentoring to increase an individual's sense of efficacy, which could then improve his or her teaching performance, and ultimately improve student achievement. The purpose of this research study was to identify and describe the differences between (1) the self-efficacy beliefs of teachers from traditional college of education programs and from alternative certification programs in order to identify patterns or correlations between type of training and teachers' sense of efficacy, and (2) the self efficacy beliefs of novice, experienced, and expert teachers in order to determine patterns or correlations between years of experience and teachers' sense of efficacy. This research study investigated the self-efficacy beliefs of 125 high school teachers in Brevard County, Florida, with either college of education training or alternative certification training and with either novice, experienced, or expert classroom teaching experience. The first part of the study analyzed teachers' responses to the 24 items on Tschannen-Moran and Woolfolk Hoy's Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale; the second part analyzed 6 researcher-designed items referring to teacher training programs and personal classroom experience. The three subscales that directed the items on the questionnaire were Efficacy for Student Engagement, Efficacy for Instructional Strategies, and Efficacy for Classroom Management. Factor analyses indicated 21 of the 24 items from the current research study loaded on the same three factors identified on the Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale. The 6 items created specifically for this study loaded into two factors identified appropriately as training program and classroom experience. A reliability analysis resulted in a total alpha coefficient of .9271 for the 24 items on the Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale for the 125 participants in the current research study which is consistent with an alpha of .94 in previous studies using the same scale. A total alpha coefficient of .6973 was determined for the 6 researcher-designed items. Findings from the t-tests and ANOVAs indicated that there was no relationship between self-efficacy beliefs of college of education trained teachers and alternative certification trained teachers; few relationships between novice, experienced, and expert teachers; and few interaction effects between type of teacher training and number of years of classroom experience. While the results of the study did not reveal statistically significant differences in the teacher groups, the teachers' responses and comments indicated personal classroom experiences created higher levels of self-efficacy than teacher training programs. Contrary to the researcher's expectations and conventional wisdom, both alternative certification teachers and novice teachers perceived themselves to be efficacious in the classroom. One possible explanation for the failure to reach statistically significant differences in the type of training and years of experience variables is that there simply are not distinct differences. Generally teachers with alternative certification training are immersed in programs that provide on-the-job training and support from a mentor, and as experts in their field of study, they exhibit self-assurance in their classroom behaviors. Commonly novices enter teaching with high expectations and they bring innovative practices and a fresh outlook to the classroom. Another possible explanation for the failure to reach statistically significant differences is the over-representation of some groups which could possibly have skewed the results. From the group of 125 participants, 86 teachers had college of education training while only 39 had alternative certification training. There were 79 expert teachers with ten or more years of experience, 35 experienced teachers with four to nine years, and only 11 novice teachers with three or less years. While the results of the research study did not offer statistically significant differences in the groups of teachers, there is much practical significance to be gained for district and school-level personnel in planning professional development opportunities. By identifying the strengths and weaknesses in teachers' self-efficacy beliefs, professional development and peer support can be provided to address the unique needs of each teacher group. Recommendations were made for a synthesis of current practices from both college of education programs and alternative certification programs: a series of half-day internship experiences with relevant content coursework could be combined with on-the-job experience and mentoring support based on current alternative certification programs. This research study lacks generalizability, so further research should include middle school and elementary teachers, and teachers from other counties and states. Because teachers' self-efficacy beliefs are personal and not necessarily reflective of actual practice, an investigation of the relationship between perceived self-efficacy beliefs and observed classroom effectiveness should be investigated.

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Self-efficacy refers to people&rsquo / s judgments of their own abilities about a specific situation. The present study examined self-efficacy beliefs of senior students about using ESP (English for Specific Purposes) in their prospective careers. For this purpose, a new scale was developed by the researcher. The predictive power of certain variables (gender, English course grade, watching English language films, reading English language books, listening to English language songs) was investigated through multiple regression analysis. The study was conducted at a private university in Ankara and 303 senior students participated in the study. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed to determine the factor(s) in the questionnaire. EFA provided evidence for two factor solution and they were named as Academic Reading-Writing Skill (ARWS) and Academic Communication Skill (ACS). Cronbach&rsquo / s alpha coefficients of both ARWS and ACS scales were .97 for each which was a satisfactory result. The results of multiple regression analysis showed that the model of the combination of variables which were gender, reading English language books, watching English language films, listening to English language songs and English grade significantly predicted both ARWS and ACS scores of the participants. The variables which were reading English language books, watching English language films and English course grade significantly predicted both ARWS and ACS scores of the participants. Listening to English language songs predicted ACS scores but not ARWS scores. However, gender predicted neither of them.

Submitted by Giovana Pereira Sander null (giovanapsander@gmail.com) on 2018-08-07T23:09:13Z No. of bitstreams: 1 tese.pdf: 7366911 bytes, checksum: fb624daa5f9f487a5a4ed7b8ba8a4d9a (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Minervina Teixeira Lopes null (vina_lopes@bauru.unesp.br) on 2018-08-08T14:19:19Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 sander_gp_dr_bauru.pdf: 6829882 bytes, checksum: c5163ec7e7597e1229b9131800facab3 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-08T14:19:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 sander_gp_dr_bauru.pdf: 6829882 bytes, checksum: c5163ec7e7597e1229b9131800facab3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-03-09 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / A pesquisa tem por objetivo analisar e compreender a relação entre a percepção sobre a autoeficácia na resolução de tarefas numéricas e o sentido de número dos alunos que estão terminando o Ciclo de Alfabetização (3.º ano do Ensino Fundamental). O quadro teórico integra duas temáticas: a crença de autoeficácia e o sentido de número. A crença de autoeficácia é fundamentada a luz da Teoria Sócio-Cognitiva, teoria esta desenvolvida pelo psicólogo Albert Bandura. O sentido de número é fundamentado por autores que investigam essa temática, incluindo estudos sobre o cálculo mental. Esta investigação é de natureza metodológica mista com a conjunção de dados quantitativos e qualitativos. Os participantes da pesquisa foram 407 alunos de 29 turmas do 3.º ano do Ensino Fundamental de 12 escolas do município de Bauru – São Paulo – Brasil que foram selecionadas por sorteio. Os instrumentos para a coleta de dados foram um questionário, que tinha a finalidade de caracterizar os participantes em termos de idade, gênero, ano de escolaridade bem como sua percepção de desempenho em Matemática de forma geral; uma escala de crença de autoeficácia em tarefas numéricas, que tinha por objetivo mensurar as crenças de autoeficácia dos alunos diante de tarefas numéricas; e as tarefas numéricas, que tinha por finalidade investigar o sentido de número dos alunos. A coleta de dados aconteceu em dois momentos: num primeiro momento, foram aplicados o questionário e a escala de crença de autoeficácia em tarefas numéricas; no segundo momento, foram aplicadas as tarefas numéricas. Os dados evidenciaram que: 1) de maneira geral, os alunos possuem crenças positivas de autoeficácia em tarefas numéricas; 2) as crenças de autoeficácia se diferem quando consideramos os componentes de sentido de número como objeto de crença; 3) o sentido de número dos alunos é mais evidenciado quando se trata de conhecimentos e destrezas com os números; 3) o algoritmo é o método de cálculo mais utilizado pelos alunos em detrimento de outros tipos de cálculos; 4) não foram encontradas correlações significativas entre crença de autoeficácia e sentido de número, bem como crença de autoeficácia e método de cálculo; 5) a ausência de correlações significativas pode ser devido ao fato da natureza das tarefas serem diferentes à das tarefas normalmente utilizadas para o ensino da Matemática. Concluímos na pesquisa que é preciso dar mais atenção ao desenvolvimento de aspectos cognitivos e afetivos no ensino da Matemática. Sobre os aspectos cognitivos, é preciso focar em outros métodos de cálculo, como o cálculo mental e de estimativa, que irão contribuir para o conhecimento e destreza com números e operações e para a aplicação desses aspectos. Ainda, sendo a crença de autoeficácia muito positiva para os alunos, é preciso considerar aspectos afetivos que influenciam na aprendizagem e na confiança dos alunos ao resolver tarefas matemáticas. / The goal of the research is to analyze and understand the relationship between the perception of self-efficacy in the resolution of numerical tasks and the number of students who are finishing the Literacy Cycle (3rd year of elementary school). The theoretical framework integrates two themes: the self-efficacy beliefs and the number sense. The self-efficacy beliefs is based on the light of Socio-Cognitive Theory, a theory developed by the psychologist Albert Bandura. The number sense is supported by authors who investigate this issue, including studies about mental calculation .This research is of mixed methodological nature with the combination of quantitative and qualitative data. The participants of the research were 407 students from 29 classes of the 3rd year of elementary school from 12 schools in the city of Bauru - São Paulo - Brazil that were selected by random. The instruments for data collection were a questionnaire, which had the purpose of characterizing the participants in terms of age, gender, year of schooling as well as their perception of performance in Mathematics in general; a scale of self-efficacy beliefs in numerical tasks, whose objective was to measure students' self-efficacy beliefs in numerical tasks; and numerical tasks, whose purpose was to investigate the number sense of the students. The data collection happened in two moments: at first, the questionnaire and the scale of self-efficacy beliefs in numerical tasks were applied; in the second moment, the numerical tasks were applied. The data showed that: 1) in general, students have positive self-efficacy beliefs in numerical tasks; 2) self-efficacy beliefs differ when we consider the components of sense of number as an object of belief; 3) the number sense of students is more evident when it comes to knowledge and skills with numbers; 3) the algorithm is the method of calculation most used by the students in detriment of other types of calculations; 4) no significant correlations were found between self-efficacy beliefs and number sense, as well as self-efficacy beliefs and method of calculation; 5) the absence of significant correlations may be due to the fact that the nature of the tasks is different from the tasks normally used for teaching mathematics. We conclude in the research that it is necessary to give more attention to the development of cognitive and affective aspects in the teaching of Mathematics. Regarding the cognitive aspects, it is necessary to focus on other methods of calculation, such as mental and estimation, which will contribute to the knowledge and dexterity with numbers and operations and to the application of these aspects. Also, since the self-efficacy beliefs is very positive for students, it is necessary to consider affective aspects that influence students' learning and confidence in solving mathematical tasks. / 99999.010434/2014-03.

Submitted by Anderson Cangane Pinheiro (anderson_cp@professor.sp.gov.br) on 2018-08-18T12:52:02Z No. of bitstreams: 1 dissertacao_pinheiro_autoeficacia e pensamento algebrico.pdf: 2075496 bytes, checksum: c39c84c83ab62f47e819ed6f5ff1a663 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Lucilene Cordeiro da Silva Messias null (lubiblio@bauru.unesp.br) on 2018-08-21T12:54:23Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 pinheiro_ac_me_bauru.pdf: 2075496 bytes, checksum: c39c84c83ab62f47e819ed6f5ff1a663 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-21T12:54:23Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 pinheiro_ac_me_bauru.pdf: 2075496 bytes, checksum: c39c84c83ab62f47e819ed6f5ff1a663 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-03-27 / Esta pesquisa de mestrado objetivou uma análise das crenças de autoeficácia docente para o desenvolvimento do pensamento algébrico em alunos do ensino fundamental da rede pública do Estado de São Paulo. Para a análise das crenças de autoeficácia dos docentes que lecionam Matemática nos anos iniciais e anos fundamentais, foram utilizadas duas escalas elaboradas e validadas nas quais os participantes da pesquisa manifestaram seus julgamentos sobre suas capacidades em atividades que visam ao desenvolvimento do pensamento algébrico. Cada escala foi composta por uma série de afirmações que representam situações didáticas em que os participantes puderam discordar totalmente, discordar, concordar ou concordar totalmente. As alternativas foram organizadas no formato likert e para cada afirmação o docente participante só pôde assinalar uma única alternativa. Participaram da pesquisa nove professores dos anos iniciais e 39 professores dos anos finais do ensino fundamental. Para a análise e interpretação dos resultados utilizamos a metodologia mista. Constatamos que os professores demonstram crenças de autoeficácia positivas, porém essas crenças não são fortes. Dentre as variáveis que podem influenciar nas crenças citamos a idade, concepções de álgebra, autoconceito, formação inicial, pós-graduação, persuasão social, materiais curriculares e o interesse dos alunos na percepção dos professores. Discutimos, neste trabalho, como as crenças de autoeficácia impactam as motivações, escolhas e comportamentos dos docentes em suas práticas. / This master's research aimed at an analysis of the beliefs of teacher self-efficacy for the development of algebraic thinking in elementary school students of the public network of the State of São Paulo. For the analysis of the beliefs of self-efficacy teachers who taught mathematics in the initial years and fundamental years were used two elaborate and validated scales in which the participants of the research manifested their judgments on their abilities in activities that aim at the development of algebraic thinking. Each scale was composed of a series of statements that represent didactic situations in which the participants could totally disagree, disagree, agree or agree totally. The alternatives were organized in the likert format and for each statement the participating teacher can only point to a single alternative. Nine teachers from the initial years and 39 teachers from the final years of elementary school participated in the research. For the analysis and interpretation of the results we used the mixed methodology. We found that teachers demonstrate positive self-efficacy beliefs, but these beliefs are not strong. Among the variables that may influence beliefs, we cite age, conceptions of algebra, self-concept, initial formation, post-graduation, social persuasion, curricular materials and the students 'interest in the teachers' perception. We discuss, in this work, how the beliefs of self-efficacy impact the motivations, choices and behaviors of teachers in their practices.

This study examined the effects of differing amounts of structure within the problem based learning instructional model on elementary preservice teachers' science teaching efficacy beliefs, including personal science teaching efficacy and science teaching outcome expectancy, and content knowledge acquisition. This study involved sixty (60) undergraduate elementary preservice teachers enrolled in three sections of elementary science methods classes at a large Midwestern research university. This study used a quasi-experimental nonequivalent design to collect and analyze both quantitative and qualitative data. Participants completed instruments designed to assess science teaching efficacy beliefs, science background, and demographic data. Quantitative data from pre and posttests was obtained using the science teaching efficacy belief instrument-preservice (STEBI-B) developed by Enochs and Riggs (1990) and modified by Bleicher (2004). Data collection instruments also included a demographic questionnaire, an analytic rubric, and a structured interview; both created by the researcher. Quantitative data was analyzed by conducting ANCOVA, paired samples t-test, and independent samples t-test. Qualitative data was analyzed using coding and themes. Each of the treatment groups received the same problem scenario, one group experienced a more structured PBL setting, and one group experienced a limited structure PBL setting. Research personnel administered pre and posttests to determine the elementary preservice teachers' science teaching efficacy beliefs. The results show elementary preservice teachers'science teaching efficacy beliefs can be influence by the problem based learning instructional model. This study did not find that the amount of structure in the form of core ideas to consider and resources for further research increased science teaching efficacy beliefs in this sample. Results from the science content knowledge rubric indicated that structure can increase science content knowledge in this sample. Qualitative data from the tutor, fidelity raters, and interviews indicated the participants were excited about the problem and were interested in the science content knowledge related to the problem. They also indicated they were motivated to continue informal study in the problem area. Participants indicated, during the interview, their initial frustration with the lack of knowledge gained from the tutor; however, indicated this led to more learning on their part. This study will contribute to the overall knowledge of problem based learning and its structures, science teaching efficacy beliefs of elementary preservice teachers, and to current teaching and learning practices.

Submitted by Jakeline Ortega (jakortega@unoeste.br) on 2016-08-12T14:33:27Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) ANDREIA MARIA_DISSERTACAO VERSAO FINAL.pdf: 345138 bytes, checksum: 5ec125993bb1a5c2fc636e5b72c0ea49 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-12T14:33:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) ANDREIA MARIA_DISSERTACAO VERSAO FINAL.pdf: 345138 bytes, checksum: 5ec125993bb1a5c2fc636e5b72c0ea49 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-03-23 / This work is structured in three studies, the research and analysis of perceived self-efficacy beliefs of Educational Coordinator in his role in the continuing education of teachers in the school. The first study aims at presenting a literature review on Professor Educational Coordinator from 2000 to 2014, from the collection of empirical work on database. Publications material included three thematic involving Professor Educational Coordinator: role assignments; identity and aspects of affective and relational dimensions, which made it possible to show that the continuing education of teachers in school consists of mediation Educational Coordinator, in order to develop a consistent practice for improving student learning. It also pointed to the deviation of the pedagogical function that is still marked bureaucratic precepts. In the second study shows the Social Cognitive Theory of Albert Bandura in order to explain the basic concepts of this theoretical perspective, in particular, the Self-efficacy. The theme of self-efficacy in educational context was discussed at different levels of education: elementary school, high school and higher education. The results showed the meditational role that self-efficacy beliefs have on human behavior and training. The third study aimed to investigate and analyze the self-efficacy beliefs perceived by Professor Educational Coordinator in his role in the continuing education of teachers in the school. The participants were ten teachers working in function called Educational Coordinator in the state public schools of the “Diretoria de Ensino da Região de Assis”. The instrument used for data collection was the semi structured interview guide on the beliefs of teacher self-efficacy. From the data analysis it was observed that the self-efficacy perceptions of the participating subjects are consistent with the theoretical framework of Albert Bandura, addressed within the educational context. The four sources of formation of self-efficacy beliefs were perceived by Teachers Coordinators. Social persuasion stood out in speeches, both to the constitution of one's beliefs, and for the formation of this belief in the teacher, as emphasized dialogue and feedback on their actions. It is hoped that the study glimpse possibilities to think of continuing education proposals for strengthening the belief of personal and collective self-efficacy of those involved in the promotion of quality education. / Esta dissertação estrutura-se em três estudos que consistem na investigação e análise das crenças de autoeficácia percebida do Professor Coordenador Pedagógico em sua atuação na formação continuada de professores na escola. O primeiro estudo objetivou realizar um levantamento bibliográfico sobre o Professor Coordenador Pedagógico no período de 2000 a 2014, a partir da coleta de trabalhos empíricos em base de dados. As publicações compreenderam três temáticas que envolvem o Professor Coordenador Pedagógico: atribuições da função; identidade e aspectos das dimensões afetivas e relacionais, as quais possibilitou evidenciar que a formação continuada dos professores na escola é constituída da mediação do Professor Coordenador Pedagógico, com vistas a desenvolver uma prática consistente para melhoria da aprendizagem dos alunos. Também apontam o desvio da função pedagógica que ainda é marcada de preceitos burocráticos. No segundo estudo é apresentada a Teoria Social Cognitiva de Albert Bandura no intuito de explicar os conceitos básicos dessa perspectiva teórica, em especial, a Autoeficácia. A temática da autoeficácia em contexto educativo foi discutida em diferentes níveis de ensino: Ensino Fundamental, Ensino Médio e Ensino Superior. Os resultados evidenciaram o papel mediacional que as crenças de autoeficácia exercem sobre o comportamento humano e sua formação. O terceiro estudo teve como objetivo investigar e analisar as crenças de autoeficácia percebida pelo Professor Coordenador Pedagógico em sua atuação na formação continuada de professores na escola. Participaram da pesquisa dez professores que atuam na função designada de Professor Coordenador Pedagógico em escolas da rede pública estadual da Diretoria de Ensino da Região de Assis. O instrumento utilizado para coleta de dados foi o roteiro de entrevista semiestruturada sobre as crenças de autoeficácia docente. A partir da análise dos dados observou-se que as percepções de autoeficácia dos sujeitos participantes estão em consonância com o referencial teórico de Albert Bandura, abordado dentro do contexto educacional. As quatro fontes de constituição das crenças de autoeficácia foram percebidas pelos Professores Coordenadores. A persuasão social destacou-se nos discursos, tanto para a constituição das próprias crenças, quanto para a formação dessa crença no professor, pois enfatizaram o diálogo e o feedback em suas ações. Espera-se que o estudo vislumbre possibilidades de se pensar em propostas de formação continuada para o fortalecimento das crenças de autoeficácia pessoal e coletiva dos sujeitos envolvidos na promoção de uma educação de qualidade.

A number of recent efforts to improve mathematics instruction have focused on professional development activities designed to promote changes in teachers' practice that are consistent with the standards of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics [NCTM]. Since teacher beliefs can have a significant influence on what teachers do in their classroom, this study investigated the impact of an alternative form of professional teacher development designed to impact both general and personal teacher efficacy beliefs toward the use of Standards-based mathematics. A professional teacher development study group [PDSG] was formed that consisted of a facilitator/participant and six elementary teachers who were interested in improving their mathematics instruction. The group met over a period of six months in eight sessions to examine their own mathematical thinking and beliefs as well as the mathematical thinking of children. Results indicated that general and personal teacher efficacy changed in a positive direction toward the use of Standards-based mathematics. These results suggest that the implementation of mathematics reform may be facilitated when teachers have the opportunity to engage in a PDSG specifically designed to attend to teacher efficacy beliefs and support positive changes in those beliefs.