| An online study was conducted to ascertain the potential of two independent variables, teaching self-efficacy and critical thinking skill (via a self-efficacy survey and a critical thinking appraisal) to predict four aspects of professional engagement (via a teaching career aspirations survey) among 95 self-selected early-career K-12 teachers. A regression model was attempted across the four aspects of professional engagement surveyed: planned persistence (PP), professional development (PD), professional leadership (PL), and planned effort (PE). However the data violated regression assumptions, necessitating non-parametric analysis. Analyses using Kendall's tau showed a significant correlation between teaching self-efficacy and all four dependent variables (tauPD = .34, p < .01; tauPL = .29, p < .01; tauPP = -.09, p < .01; tau PE = .41, p < .01). Critical thinking did not show a significant relationship with professional engagement. Two post hoc studies investigated these results. Non-parametric analysis showed a significant relationship between critical thinking scores and the critical thinking appraisal completion time (tau = .15. p < .05). T tests showed no significant differences between a sample (n = 27) of the main group (N = 95) and a retained group of participants who completed the surveys but did not complete the critical thinking appraisal (survey only group, n = 27). The significant relationship between teaching self-efficacy and career engagement in this study warrants further attention. |
