A case study: exploring the self-efficacy of untenured teachers enrolled in non-traditional teacher education programs in Title I, low-achieving, urban schools

Asya Johnson

doi:10.17918/00000135

Non-traditional teacher education programs in urban school districts have served as a method to fill vacancies in disadvantaged communities. Limited pre-service teaching experience has led to low self-efficacy of untenured teachers placed in low-achieving, Title I, urban schools, thus impacting pedagogical practices. The purpose of this single, qualitative case study with embedded units was to explore differences among untenured teachers' sense of self-efficacy to understand how it influences their pedagogical practices in an urban, low-achieving, Title I school. The population consisted of six (6) untenured teachers in New York City currently enrolled in Teach for America, New York City Teaching Fellows, and the New York City Teaching Collaborative's non-traditional teacher education programs. Participants in this study were of mixed gender, socio-economic status, and races different from the students the participants taught. Data were collected using one-on-one, semi-structured, virtual interviews. One central research question guided this study along with three sub-questions: How do untenured teachers (hired from non-traditional teacher education programs) describe their initial experiences in the classroom?; (a) How do untenured, non-traditionally trained teachers describe the value of teacher self-efficacy and its influence on their culturally responsive practices with students in urban, low-achieving, Title I schools?, (b) How do these untenured, non-traditional teachers characterize how their teacher preparation program prepared them to teach in an urban, low-achieving, Title I school?, and (c) What factors affect untenured, non-traditionally trained teachers' teacher self-efficacy in the classroom to support student learning in a low-achieving, urban, Title I school? The findings revealed that the three non-traditional teacher education programs in this study did not provide enough preparation time and support to beginning teachers teaching in Title I, low-achieving schools, causing some teachers to have low teacher self-efficacy. Low teacher self-efficacy influenced their pedagogical practices in the classroom and prevented them from being culturally responsive in their pedagogical practices while supporting student learning. Recommendations are offered for each teacher program studied and focus on greater preparation strategies for teachers in urban, low-achieving, Title I schools. Keywords: teacher self-efficacy, culturally relevant pedagogy, non-traditional teacher education, Title I schools, pre-service teachers, Teach for America, New York City Teaching Fellows, New York City Teaching Collaborative, student-teacher relationships, urban teacher education program, teacher preparation

A case study: exploring the self-efficacy of untenured teachers enrolled in non-traditional teacher education programs in Title I, low-achieving, urban schools

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A case study: exploring the self-efficacy of untenured teachers enrolled in non-traditional teacher education programs in Title I, low-achieving, urban schools

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