Date

10-14-2026

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)

Chair

Sara Geary

Keywords

teacher self-efficacy, cognitive load, scripted instruction, Title I schools, MANOVA

Disciplines

Education | Educational Leadership

Abstract

This quantitative, non-experimental, multivariate comparative study examined whether statistically significant differences existed in teacher self-efficacy and teacher cognitive load between Title I and non–Title I elementary school teachers who implement scripted instructional programs. The study addressed a gap in the literature by simultaneously examining these constructs across differing school settings. The final analytic sample consisted of 169 elementary school teachers employed in Title I and non-Title I schools within a suburban public school district in the southeastern United States. Data were collected using the Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES), the NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX), and a demographic questionnaire administered via an electronic survey platform. A one-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was conducted to examine differences between the two groups. The results indicated no statistically significant difference in teacher self-efficacy between Title I and non-Title I teachers; however, a statistically significant difference in teacher cognitive load was found by school designation. These findings demonstrate that while teachers maintained similar levels of confidence in their instructional abilities, the mental demands associated with implementing scripted instructional programs differed between Title I and non-Title I school contexts. Future research should replicate this study using more diverse populations, longitudinal designs, and additional contextual variables to examine further factors influencing teacher cognitive load and self-efficacy within scripted instructional environments.

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