Assessing self-efficacy beliefs of students enrolled in early childhood education practicum movement courses

The purpose of this study was to assess self- efficacy beliefs of students in early childhood education movement practicum courses offered in Northeastern Ohio higher educational institutions. The sample population consisted of early childhood education students from four higher educational institutions (two community colleges and two universities) located in the Northeastern Ohio area. The survey was given to a total of 165 students and the researcher received a total of 151 completed questionnaires for a response rate of 92%. The student population was composed of 137 females (90%) and 14 males (9%). Using the Raosoft Sample Size Calculator the researcher determined that a total of 116 completed questionnaires were needed to yield statistical power. To address research question One, the researcher employed descriptive data to identify the demographic characteristics of participants in the study. Research question Two, the researcher employed a t-test to assess the extent to which gender accounts for the variability in self-efficacy beliefs among students in this program. This type of test fits the research question well because it involved a comparison of the means for two groups (Salkind, 2004). For research questions Three, Four, and Five the researcher conducted separate One Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) tests. For research question Six, a Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient was selected to assess the relationship between respondents' age and self-efficacy beliefs. A reliability analysis employing Cronbach's alpha was also conducted to examine whether the series of questions were designed to measure the underlying themes in the survey were internally consistent. The themes were overall self- efficacy (Cronbach's alpha .96); student engagement self-efficacy (Cronbach's alpha .90); instruction strategies self-efficacy (Cronbach's alpha .92); and classroom management self-efficacy (Cronbach's alpha .90) were internally consistent. Self-efficacy beliefs for each question on the survey were grouped according to each subscale/theme of student engagement, instruction strategies, and classroom management experiences. The Ohio State Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale (OSTES) was utilized to collect data for this study and Educators at Ohio State University College of Education and Human Ecology developed the OSTES.