This study hypothesizes that a sense of personal and teaching efficacy can be explained, in part, by a historical pattern of student achievement performance and workplace context. To measure perceptions of efficacy, power, and school climate, a questionnaire was completed by approximately 1,500 elementary school teachers in the spring terms of…

This report is a descriptive summary of preliminary findings from the second year of research in 16 secondary schools in California and Michigan conducted by the Center for Research on the Context of Secondary Teaching (CRC). Further analyses of the data will proceed over the year and will be informed by comments of teachers, administrators, and…

Descriptive data were collected from male and female students in grades 7, 9, and 11 on five learner attributes commonly reported as influencing student learning and/or motivation: desire for approval of others, attribution of success or failure, desire for challenge in academic settings, perceived self-competence in school settings, and locus of…

A 32-item Computer Self-Efficacy Scale (CSE) was developed to measure perceptions of capability regarding specific computer-related knowledge and skills. Bandura's theory of self-efficacy (1986) and Schunk's model of classroom learning (1985) guided the development of the CSE. Each of the skill-related items is preceded by the phrase "I feel…

The major purpose of the second field test of the AEL MSCI instrument was to assess the psychometric properties of the refined version with a larger, more diverse group of respondents. The first objective of this field test was to expand the four-point Likert-type response scale to six points in order to yield more variance in responses. The…

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between teachers' teaching effectiveness and school effectiveness in comprehensive high schools in Taiwan, Republic of China. The establishment of comprehensive high schools signals a new type of secondary education. In order to improve the quality of education in comprehensive high…

Thirteen K-12 teachers participated in a technology integration professional development course that included course components such as peer modeling, peer collaboration, and reflection in an authentic learning context. The purpose of this study was to explore how teachers' beliefs, practices, and self-efficacy changed in this learning…

Drawing on data collected from students attending Australian rural- and urban-based universities, structural modeling was used to test the validity of a model of student persistence and satisfaction in agricultural courses. The model placed personal and environmental factors as predictors of student persistence and satisfaction and was comprised…

This study surveyed 68 Taiwanese preservice English elementary teachers regarding their beliefs about language learning and teaching. The survey examined their beliefs in five areas: child development, teaching English to children, teaching strategies and techniques, the nature of language learning, and self-efficacy and expectations. Data…

This paper reports on a study to determine if teacher self-efficacy in site-based managed schools differed from teacher self-efficacy in schools that were not site-based managed. The study also examined whether there was a relationship between self-efficacy in site-based managed schools and schools that were not site-based managed in regards to…

This action research project implemented and evaluated a program to improve students' lack of effort and use of ineffective learning strategies. Participants were students in one kindergarten class, one second-grade class, one high ability fourth-grade class and one high ability fifth-grade class in a Midwest suburban school. Student and teacher…

Assessed differences between Hispanic and non-Hispanic White adolescents' HIV risk behaviors and psychosocial determinants. Surveys indicated that attitude was the strongest predictor of intention and risky behavior for both sexes. There were ethnic differences in sexual experience and condom use for females but not for males. Other predictor…

The personal and teaching efficacy beliefs of preservice and practicing teachers (N=626) were investigated. Significant interaction was found between experience level and school level on personal efficacy. Secondary teachers were more homogeneous in their personal efficacy beliefs and had less teaching efficacy than elementary teachers. (SM)

Described is a measure of the self-efficacy of preservice elementary science teachers. Field experiences, peer teaching, and the self-evaluation of microteaching are introduced as ways to enhance science teaching self-efficacy. Validity and reliability data are presented. (KR)

Using a conceptual stress development model that treats informal supports and competency as potential mediators, examined outcomes of caregiving in samples of black and white caregivers. A perceived lack of informal supports and a sense of incompetency exacerbated stress among black caregivers but had no effects among the white caregivers. (RJM)