MODELLING TEACHER EFFICACY CHANGE DURING A TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME IN TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

Abstract

This phenomenological case study explored the professional development experiences of three secondary school mathematics teachers who were enrolled in an in-service teacher professional development programme in Trinidad and Tobago from August 2013 to May 2014. The primary goal of the study was to understand how their programme experiences influenced their teacher efficacy beliefs. Data captured through semi-structured participant interviews, focused observation of participants’ teaching, participants’ reflective journals, and teaching philosophy, were analysed using Hyncer’s (1985) data explication process. Participants attributed changes in their teacher efficacy to information they perceived from their mastery experiences with critical analysis and social persuasion, vicarious experiences with critical analysis, school embedded learning experiences, interactions in a professional learning community of practitioners, and engaging in critical self-reflection. Changes in their teaching were initiated by this information they perceived, and led to improved classroom interactions and student engagement in learning. Positive students’ responses to changes in their teaching boosted their teacher efficacy and incentivised further changes in teaching and teacher efficacy. This study directly addressed the paucity of teacher efficacy research in Trinidad and Tobago, and provides directions for future research about the sustainability of these beliefs beyond the period of professional development.