Identifier

etd-04072011-213237

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Kinesiology

Document Type

Dissertation

Abstract

Research has found dealing with student misbehavior as the most prominent source associated with teachers’ negative behavioral outcomes at work. One approach for understanding teachers’ behavioral responses to student misbehavior is through the efficacy beliefs of teachers. This line of inquiry has lead to the advancement of the concept of teacher efficacy in handling student misbehavior or TEHSM. TEHSM was found to significantly and negatively mediate the relationship between teachers’ perception of student misbehavior, emotional exhaustion, and turnover intentions respectively. To date, limited information is available regarding the makeup of TEHSM which gives emphasis to the significance of this dissertation. The purpose of this dissertation was to (a) identify factors that influence TEHSM beliefs and (b) describe and contrast TEHSM in classroom and physical education settings. The first (quantitative) study investigated personal and school cultural factors associated with TEHSM beliefs. Together, personal (i.e., extraversion, conscientiousness, teaching experience) and school cultural (i.e., professional development, student socioeconomic status) factors contributed significantly in explaining the amount of variance in TEHSM with the greatest proportion of variance explained by professional development and low student SES. The second (qualitative) study investigated TEHSM beliefs and teaching experience in classroom and physical education settings. Common sources of misbehavior were reported in classroom and physical education settings. Further, low TEHSM related to inadequate skills/knowledge, inconsistent actions (i.e. proactive, reactive) to gain control, and debilitating feelings. High TEHSM related to strategizing, being the authoritative figure, and building trusting relationships. Low and high TEHSM teachers reported improving TEHSM by taking personal charge of professional growth. The third (qualitative) study contrasted physical education teachers’ actions towards student misbehavior based on TEHSM beliefs. Findings depicted how teachers with different TEHSM beliefs used teaching and coping strategies; student behavior management (i.e. proactive) strategies, and disciplinary actions (i.e. reactive) to deal with misbehavior. High TEHSM related to authoritative teaching; approach/problem focused coping style; and proactive management. Knowledge gained from this dissertation provides a vital step towards understanding the role of TEHSM, informs teacher training programs on how to improve TEHSM, and provides a foundation for future studies.

Date

2011

Document Availability at the Time of Submission

Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide.

Committee Chair

Carson, Russell

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_dissertations.2695

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Kinesiology Commons

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