A Multivariate Study of Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs of Elementary Teachers

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between mathematics teaching efficacy beliefs and predictor variables (gender, age, ethnicity, highest level of high school mathematics classes taken and passed, highest level of college mathematics classes taken for earned credit, number of mathematics methods course units taken, number of hours of professional development/training in mathematics, and highest college degree earned).

Participants in this study were 122 elementary public school teachers from 7 districts in San Diego County.

The participants for this study consisted of teachers that were currently participating in a beginning teacher support program (BTSA).

All teachers in this study were 1st or 2 nd year teachers.

Participants completed the Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument and a demographic questionnaire.

Analyses of the data included Pearson correlations, a regular multiple regression, and a Stepwise regression.

Significant relations were found between the highest level of college mathematics classes taken for earned credit and mathematics teaching efficacy, r = .27, p < .01, and relationship between mathematics teaching efficacy and highest college degree earned, r =.18, p <.05.

Multiple regressions were then run on the ten independent variables and the MTEBI, which served as the dependent variable.

The results of the regular multiple regression indicated that highest level of high school mathematics classes taken and passed and highest college degree earned are significant positive predictors of overall mathematics teaching efficacy within this model, beta = 0.29, p < .01 and beta = 0.20, p < .05, respectively.

Program improvement status was also a significant predictor of overall mathematics teaching efficacy, beta = -0.26, p < .05.

Lastly, a stepwise regression was conducted to find the best statistical predictive model of the participants' overall mathematics teaching efficacy with the potential predictor variables.

The results show that the highest level of college mathematics classes taken for earned credit was a significant positive predictor of overall teaching efficacy within the single model solution, beta = 0.27, p < .01, R2 = .07.