Self-Efficacy as Mediator of the Relationships Between Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching and Instruction

• In Event: Studying Early Career Elementary Teachers’ Instruction at Scale: Factors Related to Planning and Teaching Mathematics

Abstract

Objective: This paper examines factors that contribute to the quality of early career teachers’ (ECTs) enactment of mathematics instruction. Specifically, this analysis explores how early career elementary teachers’ mathematics knowledge is mediated by self-efficacy in relation to their instructional practice.

Perspective: Instruction, the relationship between teachers, students, and content (Cohen, Raudenbush & Ball, 2003), is a complex endeavor. ECTs vary greatly in their ability to facilitate ambitious mathematics instruction and this study considers two contributing factors: Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching (MKT; Hill, Rowan, & Ball, 2005) and self-efficacy (Bandura, 1997; Tschannen-Moran, Woolfolk Hoy, & Hoy, 1998)
MKT is composed of (1) deep knowledge of mathematics (e.g. the ability to reason through algebraic problems), and (2) specialized mathematics knowledge that is unique to teaching (e.g. the ability to identify common mathematical errors). Previous research illustrates that teachers’ with strong MKT are more likely to provide high-quality instruction to students and enhance student learning in mathematics (Hill, Rowan, & Ball, 2005). Self-efficacy is defined as an individual’s beliefs in her ability to produce desired levels of performance (Bandura, 1997). A recent meta-analysis of 40 years of scholarship revealed that teachers with higher levels of self-efficacy tend to enact higher quality instruction (Zee & Koomen, 2016). Given the complexity of teaching mathematics, we suspect that ECTs with high levels of MKT are more likely to enact ambitious instruction (Lampert, Beasley, Ghousseini, Kazemi & Franke, 2010). However, previous research illustrates that this relationship may not be so direct. People with similar skill levels but variant levels of self-efficacy may perform at different levels (Bouffard-Bouchard, Parent & Larivee, 1991; Gist & Mitchell, 1992).

Data Sources and Methods: Data for this paper come from a longitudinal study of 150 elementary early career teachers (ECTs) during the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 school years. ECTs were asked to complete the MKT K-6 survey in numbers and operations. Self-efficacy was ascertained through surveys using a measure developed by Tschannen-Moran and Woolfolk Hoy (2001). Instruction was measured using the Teaching for Robust Understanding in Mathematics (TRU Math) observation tool. Data were subjected to Structural Equation Modeling to understand the complex relationship between MKT, self-efficacy, and instruction.

Findings: Our findings indicate that MKT does not have a direct relationship with TRU Math scores. However, MKT has a direct relationship with self-efficacy, which in turn predicted TRU Math scores. This indicates an indirect relationship whereby teachers with lower levels of MKT but strong levels of self-efficacy have higher TRU math ratings. This positions self-efficacy as a mediator of the relationship between MKT and instruction.

Significance: This study is significant as it illustrates that holding high levels of MKT alone is not enough to promote ambitious instruction; teachers must also possess high levels of self-efficacy. Such a finding has implications for teacher education and induction.

Authors

• Serena Jean Salloum, Ball State University

• Shannon P. Sweeny, Northern Arizona University

• Yincheng Ye, Michigan State University

• Peter A. Youngs, University of Virginia