Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Comments

Paper presented at the 44th annual meeting of the New England Educational Research Association (NEERO), May 2-4, 2012, Portsmouth, NH.

Abstract

A two-phase, sequential mixed-methods design was used to assess perceptions of teacher efficacy (10 item survey, alpha = .90) to differentiate instruction for N = 36 graduates from one MAT teacher preparation program. Research questions addressed levels of self-efficacy, perceptions of preparedness, teaching tenure, and number of certifications held. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA and t-test procedures. A focus group with N = 10 purposively selected 2010 graduates and interviews with N = 2 graduates each from the 2008 and 2009 classes, and N = 2 faculty were conducted. No significant relationships were found for tenure and number of certifications. A relationship was found between levels of self-efficacy and feelings of preparedness (r = .91, r2 = .81, p < .001). Pre-existing ideas of how to teach which contradict differentiation, misinformation regarding differentiation, and classroom management skills presented challenges which resulted in the unintentional implementation of surface-level differentiation, rather than deep-structure differentiation (Brighton, Hertberg, Moon, Tomlinson, & Callahan, 2005).

Citation/Publisher Attribution

Casey, M. K., & Gable, R. K. (April, 2012). Perceived efficacy of beginning teachers to differentiate instruction. Paper presented at the 44th annual meeting of the New England Educational Research Association, Portsmouth, NH.

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