Date of Award

12-2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Teaching and Learning

Committee Chair/Advisor

Dr. Sandra Linder

Committee Member

Dr. Abby Allen

Committee Member

Dr. Andrew Tyminski

Committee Member

Dr. Mindy Spearman

Committee Member

Dr. Jill Shelnut

Abstract

Teachers’ self-efficacy in teaching mathematics plays a significant role in students’ success in mathematics (Levine et al., 2010; MacDonald, 2020). Introducing high-quality mathematics instruction in preschool is crucial, as this practice impacts children’s future mathematics achievement (Claessens & Engel, 2013; Braak et al., 2021). Despite having this benefit, children at the preschool level get inadequate mathematics lessons due to the preschool teachers’ uneasiness or discomfort with teaching mathematics (Gerde et al., 2018; Bates et al., 2013). However, this discomfort or uneasiness may arise from teachers’ self-efficacy in teaching mathematics (Copley, 2004). This study investigated the perceived self-efficacy of preschool teachers in teaching mathematics, the factors shaping these perceptions and how this perceived self-efficacy influences their mathematics teaching strategies. Seven preschool teachers from five different preschools were purposefully recruited for this holistic multiple-case study research. Data were collected through two semi-structured interviews, three classroom observations, and collected artifacts such as lesson plans, curriculum, and math teaching journal entries. The findings suggest that preschool teachers, despite having negative feelings about mathematics, generally perceive themselves as having high self-efficacy in teaching mathematics, and the factors that shape these feelings are rooted in their past mathematics learning experiences. The findings further identify two distinct instructional patterns: high self-efficacy-high instructional approach and high self-efficacy-low instructional approach. These preliminary insights underscore the complex relationship between teachers’ perceived self-efficacy and instructional practices, offering significant implications for early childhood mathematics education.

Share

COinS
 
 

To view the content in your browser, please download Adobe Reader or, alternately,
you may Download the file to your hard drive.

NOTE: The latest versions of Adobe Reader do not support viewing PDF files within Firefox on Mac OS and if you are using a modern (Intel) Mac, there is no official plugin for viewing PDF files within the browser window.