Growing New Teachers: The Relationship Among Professional Development, Efficacy Beliefs, and Classroom Practices

The connection between teacher practices and efficacy beliefs and the connection between teacher practices and professional development has been explored empirically (Allinder, 1994; Boardman & Woodruff, 2004; Cohen & Hill, 2001). However, there is a need to examine how mentoring and professional development opportunities for novice teachers function in relation to their efficacy beliefs and teaching practices. This study contributes to the novice teacher literature by examining the interrelations among these constructs. Data for this study were collected from 81 first-year teachers across seven school districts. Data were collected during the fall, winter, and spring using a classroom observation rubric, interviews, and a survey measure. Data were analyzed to look for relationships among teachers' perceptions of their mentoring and professional development experiences, actual classroom practices, and their efficacy beliefs. Results indicated considerable differences in mentoring for teachers in K-2, 3-5, and 6-8; they also indicated grade-level trends on the focus of professional development activities. Findings suggest the stability of teacher efficacy beliefs across the school year. For some districts, there appeared to be a relationship between efficacy scores and the frequency with which teachers reported meeting with their mentors. Lastly, findings suggest that mentors and professional development play important roles at the beginning of the school year. Results also suggest a relationship between teaching practices at the beginning of the school year and efficacy beliefs at the end of the school year for some teachers and districts.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educational Psychology

Grantor dc:publisher

The University of Arizona.

Year dc:date.issued

2008

Author dc:creator

• Bozack, Amanda Rabidue

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• McCaslin, Mary

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Good, Thomas L.
• Burross, Heidi Legg
• Anders, Patricia L.

• professional development
• mentoring
• novice teachers
• classroom practices
• first-year teachers

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author.

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10150/195080

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repository.arizona.edu:10150/195080