Mathematics self-efficacy (beliefs about oneself as a learner of mathematics) and mathematics teaching efficacy (beliefs about oneself as a mathematics teacher) are important constructs that influence pre-service teachers' (PTs') learning and teaching (Bandura 1986). However, less is known qualitatively about how PTs define good teaching and…

Institutions of higher learning generally seek to provide students with experiential learning, professional development, and tools for contributing to a diverse global society. However, many students are not able to connect their learning to their career interest. As a result, graduates do not feel confident that they have acquired the job…

The purpose of this descriptive study was to investigate course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) outcomes of community college students by looking at students' sense of project ownership, science self-efficacy, and science identity using an end of course survey. A total of 54 students, 41 females and 13 males, completed the survey.…

This dissertation investigated the critical issue of staff retention during and after the pandemic in public schools. Focusing on instructional staff, the study explored the impact of self-efficacy, relationships within the school setting, and administrators' support on their decision to remain in or leave their positions during these…

The purpose of this study is to understand how beginning teachers' self-efficacy changes after working with a mentor in Mountain West School District as a response to the problem of increasing teacher attrition rates. Social cognitive theory is used to explain the impacts on beginning teachers' self-efficacy. Using a qualitative phenomenological…

Previous research has revealed that students typically struggle with analytical writing, particularly if it deviates from the commonly taught "writing structure" (Murphree, 2014). This struggle is frequently coupled with a lack of understanding of course content materials, or the often-ambiguous nature of analysis in writing, which…

Higher education faculty's autonomous support of online teaching can promote students engagement in online context. This study collected 492 Chinese university students' survey questionnaires and applied structural equation model to measure their teacher autonomy support, self-efficacy, self-regulated learning (SRL), and online learning…

Persistent social inequities in the United States demand attention to culturally responsive (CR) teaching, which requires a specific disposition toward students and teaching. Using survey data of secondary teachers (N = 417) in seven urban districts across the country engaging in equity-oriented professional learning (PL) initiatives, we examine…

More students with more severe mental health conditions are entering college, putting ever greater pressure on university resources to meet the needs, both psychological and educational, of these students. Graduate student instructors and TAs (TAs) are uniquely positioned to connect these students to supportive resources, but may be underprepared…

This study investigated how and to what extent colleges and universities are integrating self-efficacy components within their Quality Enhancement Plans. Higher education institutions that are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACS), the regional accrediting body for 11 southern states, are…

This narrative inquiry study explored how emerging elementary educators perceived their understanding of mathematics learning and teaching as they became elementary educators. The study considered how past experiences influenced emerging educators' frames of reference as they began to teach elementary mathematics. Methods consisted of individual…

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to determine the examine the effect of individual student goal setting on motivation and reading achievement. The study focused on 50 students in fifth through eighth grade in a rural Midwestern upper elementary school. Upon completion of the Fall Aimsweb Plus Silent Reading Fluency Benchmark…

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of women student veterans and the role of self-efficacy in their utilization of campus support services. The theory guiding this study was Bandura's self-efficacy theory as it relates to the influences of the utilization of campus support by women student…

The purpose of this quantitative, comparative study was to identify statistical differences that may have existed between adult basic education students in traditional and blended classrooms on the variables of perceptions of self-efficacy and academic performance. The seminal theories underpinning the research were andragogy, heutagogy, and the…

Teacher retention has long been a problem, but recent escalations in retention rates across the country have districts scrambling to correct the problem through incentives such as increased pay and teacher workdays. However, the problem seems to be much deeper and goes beyond compensation. Research has suggested that teachers are inadequately…