Date
11-2020
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (EdD)
Chair
James Swezey
Keywords
Alternative School, Educator Perceptions, Self-efficacy, Educator Efficacy, School Leadership
Disciplines
Education | Educational Leadership
Recommended Citation
Bradford, Shaundeidra, "The Perceptions of Educators Concerning Self-Efficacy While Working in an Involuntary Enrollment Alternative School" (2020). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 2742.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/2742
Abstract
The purpose of this case study was to investigate the perceptions of 10 educators pertaining to their self-efficacy while working in an involuntary enrollment alternative school. The participants were secondary educators from an urban school district in the midwestern United States who served in varying capacities. The theory guiding this study was Bandura’s self-efficacy theory. This research investigated the impact of working in an involuntary enrollment alternative school on the self-efficacy of educators, based on Bandura’s four main sources of self-efficacy (mastery experience, vicarious experience, social persuasion, and psychological states). The research question revolves around the theory of self-efficacy influencing the educators within Bandura’s four main sources of self-efficacy. The research investigated how educator efficacy influences the educator’s job satisfaction, emotional health, and relationships within the workplace. The three data collection methods used for this research (individual interviews, a focus group, and a short-answer questionnaire) add robust real-life data from the participants. Data analysis occurred through a triangulation process consisting of analyzing the recorded data for consistent themes and patterns. Triangulation and member checks provided validity of the data analysis. Findings were drawing from data representing the views on self-efficacy for educators working within an involuntary enrollment alternative school. The study supports the belief that there is a direct correlation between the sense of self-efficacy among educators working within an involuntary alternative school environment and Bandura’s four main sources of self-efficacy and suggestions to support educators in areas such as professional development and social/emotional resources are offered, as well as peer suggestions as avenues to sustain higher levels of educator efficacy within an alternative school setting.
