Towards Understanding the Relations Among Mathematical Teaching Self-Efficacy, Goals for Professional Learning, and Engagement in Online Professional Development

• In Event: Exploring Elements and Effects of Online Professional Development

Abstract

Understanding the relationship between mathematics teachers’ self-efficacy and their goals for professional learning is important because both influence teachers’ engagement with professional learning opportunities. We examined 345 elementary school teachers’ responses on a registration form about their confidence teaching mathematics and their reasons for joining the Everyday Mathematics Virtual Learning Community, along with data analytics on their site use. Results indicated that joining to be part of a community was predictive of more engagement with the site, whereas participants who gave uninterpretable/sparse goals reasons for joining were less likely to engage with the site. We found no significant relationship between participants’ mathematics teaching self-efficacy and engagement with the site. These results have implications for supporting teacher learning.

Authors

• Emma Cocatre-Zilgien, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

• Meg Bates, University of Illinois

• Shereen Oca Beilstein, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Joseph R. Cimpian, New York University

• Cheryl Moran, University of Chicago

• Michelle Perry, University of Illinois