Date Approved

4-15-2002

Embargo Period

5-20-2016

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.A. in Educational Leadership

Department

Educational Services and Leadership

College

College of Education

Advisor

Lysik, Gerald S.

Subject(s)

Academic achievement; Mathematics--Study and teaching (Secondary); Teacher effectiveness

Disciplines

Educational Leadership

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of high teacher self-efficacy, both teaching and personal, had upon student achievement. First, the 7th grade academic math teachers at the XYZ Middle School were asked to complete the 30-item Teacher Efficacy Scale (Gibson 1983), in order to obtain both a teacher with high efficacy (teacher-A), and a teacher with low efficacy (teacher-B). Second, ten pairs of students (ten from both teacher-A and teacher-B) of equal caliber/academic ability (based upon their Stanford 9 math score, and average in math, for 6th grade) were chosen from the two academic math classes. Third, the ten pairs of students' post-math average (math grades for the first two marking periods of 7th grade), were analyzed and compared with their pre-math average (6th grade Stanford 9 math score and 6th grade math average) in order to measure the performance difference between the two averages, and determine the relationship between teacher efficacy and student achievement. In conclusion, the results of this study failed to provide substantial support for the hypothesis (that teachers' sense of efficacy is in fact related to student achievement). Overall, the ten pairs of students' post-math averages decreased. Therefore, the intern looked at both the limitations of the study and the multitude of variables that lend to both the assessment of teacher efficacy and student achievement in order to provide an explanation for the unexpected results of this study.

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