Date Approved

5-15-1996

Embargo Period

9-4-2016

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.A. in Secondary Education

Department

Educational Services and Leadership

College

College of Education

Advisor

Levinowitz, Lili

Subject(s)

High school teachers--Attitudes; Teacher effectiveness--New Jersey

Disciplines

Secondary Education and Teaching

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers' subjective perception of their teaching effectiveness and the factors that facilitate and/or inhibit their sense of efficacy in four South Jersey high schools. In addition, two problems were examined as to the impact of class size on teaching efficacy and does experience in teaching affect a teacher's sense of effectiveness?

The sample was selected from high school teachers in a two county area in southern New Jersey. Teachers were given a questionnaire to complete which was designed to identify important attitudes toward teaching efficacy. A total of 275 questionnaires were distributed and 136 were returned. Data were reported in means, modes, and frequencies for teacher effectiveness; and inferential statistics for comparing the efficacy of experienced versus new teachers.

Findings confirmed that teachers in the area are confident in their ability to teach. Two concerns surfaced that reflected a problem: class size and adequate teacher training. The most positive responses were a teacher's ability to adapt to curricular changes, the ability to re-adjust an assignment to a student's level of difficulty, and the ability to redirect a noisy student. There were no statistical differences between experienced and new teachers and their attitudes toward efficacy.

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