Teaching Efficacy, Classroom Management, and Consultation with Teachers in Training
I.
Janay B. Sander, Ph.D. at University of Texas at Austin (principal investigator) & Jon
Lasser, Ph.D. (co-PI at Texas State University)
II.
Hypothesis, Research Questions, or Goals of the Project
The goal of this project is to examine the beliefs and behaviors of teachers in training as they enter the
profession of teaching, determine which activities and beliefs are associated with greater sense of
efficacy, and to follow them for 2 years as novice teachers. The research questions are:
1. How do teachers in training perceive their competence and preparedness for
classroom management?
2. What methods do teacher in training adopt as they implement behavioral
management strategies in their training environments?
3. What do teachers in training perceive as the most essential tools and skills to
become successful and satisfied teachers once they enter the profession on a
full-time basis?
4. If consultation with a specialist in behavior management and unique student
learning or behavioral concerns is available, would teachers in training
perceive that as helpful?
5. Would teachers in training engage in consultation with a specialist, and if so,
would they find it helpful in developing professional teaching skills and
increasing teaching efficacy?
6. What are some factors associated with teachers in training who participate in
consultation, and what factors predict teachers in training feeling satisfied with
the consultation experience?
III.
Background and Significance:
Teacher retention, teacher burnout, and overall job satisfaction for teachers is a
considerable concern in the field of education and teacher training. A survey of principals
indicated that deficient classroom management skills were one of three main reasons for
teacher ineffectiveness (Torff & Sessions, 2005). Teaching efficacy, or high sense of the
ability to affect student learning, is associated with a host of positive outcomes, including
higher student achievement, lower teacher stress, improved classroom climate, lower
teacher absences, higher student self-esteem, lower special education referrals, and
teachers’ commitment to the profession (see Brouwers & Tomic, 2000). As discussed by
Brouwers and Tomic (2000), discipline problems in the classroom and teacher burnout
are related to each other, and they are both related to high teacher stress. Namely,
disruptive students increase teacher burnout, which erodes teachers’ sense of efficacy,
contributing to a cycle of further reducing the teacher’s ability to handle disruptive
behaviors of students, reducing efficacy further, increasing teacher stress and burnout
(Brouwers & Tomic 2000). In a study of teacher training programs in Texas, two primary
models of behavior management emerged as the most often taught, models defined by
Glasser and Canter (Banks, 2003). Yet, it is not very clear how well these often-taught
models of classroom management actually help improve classroom environments, nor
how well the teachers in training implement any specific model of behavior management
(Banks, 2003). There is some question about how much knowledge and skill prospective
teachers take with them from their teacher preparation courses compared to what they
later learn in the field, based on a qualitative study of teachers (Garrahy, Kulinna &
Cothran, 2005). Classroom management is clearly an important area of functioning for a
teacher, but it occurs in the broader context of the school. School climate can influence
Research Proposal
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classroom management and teacher efficacy also. Consultation is a specialty within the
profession of school psychology. It is a service based on principals of respect, joint
problem-solving, and improving the learning and behavioral functioning of children in
classrooms through working with other professionals (teachers). Consultation also has
been theorized to have enormous potential to reduce the stress and increase satisfaction in
teachers, creating a more positive learning and working environment for the whole
classroom, particularly when a prevention approach is used, rather than a reactive
approach following a crisis (Akin-Little, Little & Delligatti, 2004).
This study will be completed in three phases, part I-III. In part I participants will
complete 4 questionnaires during one data collection period. Questionnaires that yield
total scores include: Teacher Beliefs (efficacy scales), Behavioral Intervention Rating
Scale (modified for consultation), and the School Climate Index. Another qualitative
open-ended questionnaire will be included. Descriptive information about each
participant will also be collected, such as time spent in classrooms, experience
implementing classroom management skills, and demographic information. Structural
equation modeling will be used to build and test a model to predict teacher efficacy and a
model to predict willingness to engage in consultation. In part II interested participants
will participate in consultation to learn skills, classroom management techniques, or gain
information about how to teach a child with a particular learning need. The consultation
portion will include all the questionnaires from part I, in addition to video or audio taping
for purposes of data analysis and supervision of the consultant. Part II will be treated as a
single case design study. Part I and part II includes the intent of the investigators to
follow-up in approximately one to two years, which is part III.
References:
Akin-Little, K.A., Little, S. G. & Delligatti, N. (2004). A preventive model of school
consultation: Incorporating perspectives from positive psychology. Psychology in the
Schools, 41 (1), 155-162.
Banks, M. (2003). Classroom management preparation in Texas colleges and universities.
International Journal of Reality Therapy, 22 (2), 48-51.
Brouwers, A. & Tomic, W. (2000). A longitudinal study of teacher burnout and perceived
self-efficacy in classroom management. Teaching and Teacher Education, 16, 239-253.
Garrahy, D.A., Kulinna, P.H., & Cothran, D. J. (2005). Voices from the trenches: An
exploration of teachers’ management knowledge. Journal of Educational Research, 99
(1), 56-63.
Torff, B. & Sessions, D. N. (2005).Principals’ perceptions of the causes of teacher
ineffectiveness. Journal of Educational Psychology, 97 (4), 530-537.
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