Date
7-15-2024
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)
Chair
Constance Pearson
Keywords
self-efficacy, burnout, exhaustion, mastery-based learning, personalized learning, teams, innovation, teacher beliefs
Disciplines
Education
Recommended Citation
Thunstrom, Scott Russell, "Experiences of Classroom Teachers in a Mastery-Based, Personalized Learning Environment: A Phenomenological Study" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 5773.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5773
Abstract
The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of classroom teachers in a mastery-based, personalized learning environment and looked at the potential organizational exhaustion that could come from teaching in an environment like this in secondary schools throughout Idaho. The theory guiding this study was Albert Bandura's social cognitive theory (SCT) and specifically the self-efficacy theory found within the SCT framework, as it shows a direct connection between behavior changes and a person's perception of self-efficacy, which may impact organizational exhaustion and burnout. This study used a transcendental phenomenological research design to describe the lived experiences of secondary school educators in a mastery-based, personalized learning environment. Multiple school districts in Idaho that have secondary schools using a mastery-based, personalized learning environment were selected for the study, with the sample of participants drawn from a population of secondary core content teachers during the 2023-2024 school year. The number of teachers participating included ten middle and high school teachers. Data were collected through individual interviews, classroom observations, and journal entries, then analyzed using Moustakas's method for evaluating phenomenological data. The results from the analysis of data collected generated commonalities and themes of Teacher Beliefs, Teacher Characteristics, Importance of Teams, Challenges and Misconceptions, Student-Centered Approach when looking at the lived experiences of teachers in a mastery-based, personalized learning environment, while also answering the central research question and three sub-questions proposed by the researcher. Empirical, practical, and theoretical implications of the data analysis and recommendations for future research were identified.
