Research studies indicated that teachers' sense of self-efficacy is a multidimensional construct related to teachers' beliefs about teaching, their ability to teach, and their students' ability to learn. This study described the change in a cohort of graduate preservice elementary teachers' sense of efficacy as they progressed through a four quarter Master of Arts in Teaching degree program.
Forty-nine subjects were administered the Teacher Efficacy Scale (Gibson and Dembo,1984) at four selected times during their program. Subjects' sense of efficacy was compared to the independent variables of age, years since completion of the baccalaureate degree, scores on the General Knowledge and Communication Skills components of the National Teacher Examination (NTE), and baccalaureate degree major.
Data were factor analyzed. The three factor solution selected suggested that factors one and two represented the teacher's sense of personal teaching efficacy. Factor one represented the teacher's responsibility for positive student outcomes. Factor two represented the teacher's confidence in personal skills and abilities. Factor three represented the teacher's sense of general teaching efficacy.
Subjects were divided into three groups based on their baccalaureate degree major. Means and standard deviations of efficacy factors discussed in this study were calculated for each of the three baccalaureate major groups at the June, 1991.; August, 1991; November,1991; and June, 1992 administrations.
A summary of correlations (p = ≤ 0.05) was presented with data plots including best fitted lines. Multiple regression analyses indicated no significant interactions between age, and years since completion of the subject's baccalaureate degree, but did indicate that in two predictions, age made the most important contribution. Recommendations for further study and program improvement were presented. / Graduation date: 1993
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ORGSU/oai:ir.library.oregonstate.edu:1957/36241 |
| Date | 04 May 1993 |
| Creators | Bigler, Duane A. |
| Contributors | Ahrendt, Kenneth M. |
| Source Sets | Oregon State University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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