Factors affecting teaching efficacy of secondary school mathematics teachers

Christina, Lee Ling Fan (2009) Factors affecting teaching efficacy of secondary school mathematics teachers. [Final Year Project Report / IMRAD] (Unpublished)

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Abstract

This study investigated factors affecting teaching efficacy of secondary schools mathematics teachers. It attempted to identify beliefs of teachers about mathematics, and their self-efficacy as teachers and mathematics teaching efficacy. The factors affecting mathematics teaching efficacy focused on teachers' mathematics beliefs and their general teachers' efficacy. Demographic factors considered in this study such as gender, age, and years of teaching mathematics were also considered as possible factors impacting on mathematics teaching efficacy. Seventy-nine secondary school mathematics teachers from nine Kuching secondary schools and three Sibu secondary schools participated as sample for this study. The research instrument was a questionnaire that included sections on the Teacher Efficacy Scale, Domain-Specific Beliefs Questionnaire (DSBQ) and Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument (MTEBI-B), used as the measure of teacher's general efficacy, teacher's mathematics belief and teacher's mathematics teaching efficacy respectively. Pearson Moment Correlations were used to measure the relationships between teachers' mathematics belief and mathematics teaching efficacy as well as teachers' general efficacy and mathematics teaching efficacy while independent t-tests were used to determine the differences in mathematics teaching efficacy, teachers' mathematics belief and teachers' general efficacy based on gender. One-way ANOVAs were used to determine the differences in mathematics teaching efficacy, teacher's mathematics belief and teacher's general efficacy based on their age and number of years in mathematics teaching. The results showed positive relationships between secondary school mathematics teachers' mathematics beliefs and mathematics teaching efficacy as well as between their general efficacy and mathematics teaching efficacy. In relation to demographic factors, they experienced no significant differences in mathematics teaching efficacy, mathematics belief and general efficacy based on gender. The results also indicated that secondary school mathematics teachers experienced no significant differences in mathematics belief based on age as well as in mathematics belief and general efficacy based on year of teaching mathematics. However, they experienced significant differences in mathematics teaching efficacy and general efficacy based on age as well as in mathematics teaching efficacy based on years of teaching mathematics. As implication for practice, it is important for lecturers to develop positive belief toward mathematics among pre-service teachers as generally, teachers with positive mathematics belief usually showed higher levels of mathematics teaching efficacy. Courses about increasing teachers' general efficacy of mathematics teachers could also be held in order to encourage mathematics teachers to participate by schools and education department

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