This dissertation addresses the problem of teacher self-efficacy theory being largely absent as a concept of study in composition studies, despite the field maintaining a primary focus on issues like teacher development and effective composition pedagogy. This absence of the study of teacher self-efficacy, defined as “a [teacher’s] judgment of [her] capabilities to bring about desired outcomes of student engagement and learning” (Tschannen-Moran and Woolfolk Hoy 783), is consequential; if composition teachers are largely unaware of teacher self-efficacy, they are unable to actively cultivate it, which means that they could miss opportunities to reach their full potential by becoming more persistent, resilient, confident, and productive in their teaching. If one of the key goals of composition studies is to hone the writing abilities of composition students, the field is unable to achieve the greatest result for this goal if composition teachers, who are the major players attempting to execute the goal, are not functioning according to their greatest potential. I use this dissertation as a vehicle for exploration in order to address this problem. That is, I examine 1) how self-efficacy emerges and evolves across teachers' classroom lives, 2) how teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs and teaching behaviors converge or diverge across their professional lives, and 3) how teachers’ lives outside the classroom affect their self-efficacy beliefs in the classroom, all in an effort to learn more about composition teacher self-efficacy in particular, as well as make the construct of teacher self-efficacy more present and prominent in our field. In brief, this study increases awareness of the construct in composition to the extent that composition teachers are prompted to cultivate their self-efficacy in constructive ways, ultimately leading to greater fulfillment of their professional potential. In order to conduct this exploration, I collect, transcribe, and analyze oral histories from three teachers of composition. The oral histories constitute three interview sessions (per teacher subject) in which each composition instructor shares a comprehensive story of their formative professional experiences as a composition teacher, while also focusing on their perceptions of their classroom teaching as well as their teaching practices and other life experiences. Specifically, the three participants include Dana, a teaching assistant at a large, public research university; Willow, an adjunct working at a handful of institutions in a metropolitan city; and Miriam, a professor just beginning a tenure-track position at a public research university. The results of the analysis suggest several insights about teacher self-efficacy in composition contexts. First, teachers’ modes of entry into the field of composition teaching can greatly impact their teacher self-efficacy perceptions as novices. Second, and relatedly, training regimens to which teachers are exposed can likewise impact their teacher self-efficacy perceptions. Third, teachers’ familiarity with composition theory can help them feel more efficacious in teaching composition. Fourth, extensive sociality in composition teaching [which I understand to be the heightened degree of communication and interaction between composition teachers and students in comparison to the degree of communication and interactions found in other types of college student-teacher relationships] poses distinct challenges for more introverted teachers in terms of the formation of their composition teacher self-efficacy. This is because participating in social activities can be naturally more difficult for introverted types of people and traumatic experiences resulting from that difficulty can impact teacher self-efficacy beliefs. Finally, the use of mandated textbooks can either empower or disempower teachers (based on the quality of the textbook), leading respectively to feelings of efficacy or inefficacy in teaching. This study provides an initial, important step in considering the role of teacher self- efficacy in composition teachers’ lives, both in the beginning of those lives and throughout the longevity of those lives. Overall, it is my hope that this study will not only improve the teaching experiences of composition instructors in our field, but also inspire composition scholars to look more closely at the construct of composition teacher self-efficacy in order to empower and embolden teachers to reach their greatest potential as they share their knowledge and passion about writing with their students. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of English in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester 2017. / June 19, 2017. / college, composition, teacher self-efficacy, writing / Includes bibliographical references. / Kristie Fleckenstein, Professor Directing Dissertation; Vanessa Dennen, University Representative; Kathleen Blake Yancey, Committee Member; Michael Neal, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_552127 |
| Contributors | Sanchez, Kendall (authoraut), Fleckenstein, Kristie S. (professor directing dissertation), Dennen, Vanessa P., 1970- (university representative), Yancey, Kathleen Blake, 1950- (committee member), Neal, Michael R. (committee member), Florida State University (degree granting institution), College of Arts and Sciences (degree granting college), Department of English (degree granting departmentdgg) |
| Publisher | Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text, doctoral thesis |
| Format | 1 online resource (257 pages), computer, application/pdf |
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