Date
5-16-2024
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)
Chair
Lucinda Spaulding
Keywords
achievement gaps, literacy specialists, student mental health, teacher self-efficacy, trauma
Disciplines
Education
Recommended Citation
Shank, Virginia McKinney, "A Phenomenological Study of the Self-Efficacy of Elementary Reading Specialists to Address the Mental Health Needs of Students" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 5512.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5512
Abstract
The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the self-efficacy and lived experiences of reading specialists who teach struggling readers with mental health needs. The construct of self-efficacy and Bandura’s social cognitive theory provided the theoretical framework for the central research question and three sub-questions: (a) What are literacy specialists' lived experiences and self-efficacy in instructing elementary students with mental health needs? (b) What instructional experiences and strategies do literacy specialists describe as contributing to low feelings of self-efficacy for helping struggling readers with mental health needs? (c) What instructional experiences and strategies do literacy specialists describe as contributing to high feelings of self-efficacy for helping struggling readers with mental health needs? (d) What are the experiences of elementary literacy specialists who support and mentor general classroom teachers to effectively teach struggling readers with mental health needs? Data was collected through online surveys, individual interviews, and focus groups. Data was analyzed using Moustakas’s research design in which data is transcribed, coded, assigned themes, and grouped by theme. The findings from this study demonstrate that reading specialists noted an increase in mental health needs among elementary students and reported low self-efficacy to address both the emotional and academic needs of struggling readers. Participants shared that a lack of training, the pressure of a literacy specialist’s role, and students’ attitudes and behaviors contributed to feelings of ineffectiveness and low self-efficacy. In contrast, building relationships with students and setting high expectations for student progress led to feelings of high self-efficacy in their dual roles as instructors and mentors.
