DEVELOPING AND VALIDATING A NEW INSTRUMENT TO MEASURE THE SELF-EFFICACY OF ELEMENTARY MATHEMATICS TEACHERS

1 online resource (141 pages) : PDF

2012

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

The purpose of this study was the development and validation of an instrument to measure the self-efficacy of elementary mathematics teachers. Self-efficacy, as defined by Bandura, was the theoretical framework for the development of the instrument. The complex belief systems of mathematics teachers, as touted by Ernest (1989) provided insight into the elements of mathematics beliefs that could be relative to a teacher's self-efficacy beliefs. The Self-efficacy for Teaching Mathematics Instrument (SETMI) was developed in August 2010 and has undergone revisions to the original version through processes defined in this study. Evidence of reliability and validity were collected to determine if the SETMI is an adequate instrument to measure self-efficacy of elementary mathematics teachers. Findings indicate that reliability of the instrument is adequate but that the original constructs represented by the instrument may be different than initially anticipated. Construct validity of the revised SETMI was tested using Confirmatory Factor Analysis and while the measurement models fit the covariance matrix, the items that represent mathematics content may in fact be better measures of self-concept for mathematics content knowledge. These findings indicate evidence of a potential structural model for self-efficacy.

doctoral dissertations

Mathematics--Study and teaching
Educational psychology
Educational tests and measurements

D.Ed.

Elementary Education
Elementary Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics Education
Self-Efficacy
Validation

Educational Leadership

Wang, Chuang

Lambert, Richard
Polly, Andrew
Bird, James

Thesis (D.Ed.)--University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 2012.

This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). For additional information, see http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/.

Copyright is held by the author unless otherwise indicated.

McGee_uncc_0694D_10291

http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13093/etd:582