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Item Protective factors in potential trauma for adolescent surf lifesavers(Elsevier Limited, United Kingdom, 2025-12) Lawes JC; Fien S; Ledger J; Drummond M; Simon P; Joseph N; Daw S; Best T; Stanton R; de Terte IIntroduction: Surf lifesavers form a key part of Australia's first responder workforce. Patrolling members can start from 13 years old, with potential exposure to traumatic incidents. Protective factors may mitigate the trauma exposure. This study investigated protective factors associated with mental health outcomes among adolescent surf lifesavers (13–17 years), including in response to exposure to potentially traumatic events. Methods: An online survey was developed to collect data from Australian surf lifesavers (13–17 years). Measures included demographic factors, stressful life events, post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), self-efficacy, social support, and attitudes toward mental health problems. Hierarchical regressions and moderation analyses explored the relationships between variables. Results: There were 118 responses collected with overall mean age 15.4 years (SD = 1.3). PTSS was moderately to strongly positively correlated with all trauma domains. Higher self-efficacy and social support scores were correlated with lower PTSS. Hierarchical regression showed that Trauma within SLS, social support, self-efficacy and attitudes toward mental health were significantly associated with the outcome in the final regression model (F(5,110) = 17.87, p < 0.001), with the protective factors collectively explaining 28% of the variance in PTSS. Negative attitudes were positively associated with PTSS, while social support and self-efficacy scores were both negatively associated with PTSS. Conclusions: This study highlights the critical and protective interplay between social support, self-efficacy, mental health attitudes and trauma exposure among adolescent surf lifesavers. The findings will guide the development of targeted interventions to support younger patrolling members with an emphasis on supportive interventions to improve resilience and wellbeing in young emergency service personnel exposed to trauma. Practical applications: This study highlights the importance of encouraging protective factors with young individuals in emergency service roles, with practical implications for mental health professionals, emergency service agencies, surf lifesaving organizations, and policymakers interested in promoting the wellbeing of adolescent emergency service personnel.Item Measuring change in farmers' self-efficacy within the context of managing perennial summer forage crops : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Agriculture and Environment at Massey University, Manawatū Campus, New Zealand(Massey University, 2021) Drysdale, DouglasThere is a continual need to consider ways of improving agricultural extension as concern is expressed with the slow farmer uptake of complex new agricultural technologies. Existing agricultural extension research suggests psychological drivers, such as farmers’ self-efficacy beliefs, may be a key variable influencing farmers’ adoption of new technologies. The focus of this study was to firstly measure change in farmers’ self-efficacy as they participated in an innovative agricultural extension programme designed to support learning about the management of perennial summer forage crops (PSF). The second aim was to identify factors that may have enhanced or undermined changes in the farmers’ efficacy beliefs in this domain. Finally, this study aimed to explore how changes in farmers’ self-efficacy might influence their future practice. The participants in this study were thirty-five sheep and beef farmers from the Hawkes Bay, Manawatū and Wairarapa regions of New Zealand. The Riverside Farmer Learning Project (RFLP) provided the platform on which to measure change in farmers’ self-efficacy. A multiphase mixed methods research approach was adopted for this study. A Farmer Self-Efficacy Measurement survey (FSEM) was developed to measure change in farmers’ self-efficacy within the domain of managing PSF. Semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions and field observations provided the opportunity to identify factors that enhanced or undermined changes in farmers’ self-efficacy to manage these forage crops. This study found that farmers’ self-efficacy increased during their 18-month involvement in the RFLP. The project’s collaborative style of knowledge sharing, as well as the opportunity to observe and share experiences with valued peers served to enhance the farmers’ self-efficacy and facilitated new learning about managing PSF. A lack of easily sourced, scientifically robust information concerning the economic effect of PSF weed and plant health management served to undermine the farmers’ self-efficacy within this domain. These new understandings and increased self-efficacy beliefs supported improved practices that lead to the potential to increase farm production. The results of the study suggest that a farmer’s belief in their ability to initiate change in the future is reliant on past successes that employed practices based on scientific evidence. The study also suggests that vicarious experiences are important for farmers where they can observe and talk about the practices of other farmers who have successfully made changes within their farm system, and engage in dialogue with scientists whose research interests focus on the domain of farmer learning. Considering how farmers’ new understandings and self-efficacy beliefs may shape future changes in farm practices, this study provides evidence regarding future development in the design of agricultural extension programmes.Item Moments of clarity : a study of higher education teachers' professional learning experiences and the transformational process of change in self-efficacy development : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand(Massey University, 2017) Percy, Bridget MarieThis qualitative longitudinal study sought to understand ‘aha’ moments experienced by a group of early career higher education teachers in Aotearoa New Zealand and the role those moments played in the transformational process of change in teacher self-efficacy development. Self-efficacy theory was foregrounded throughout the study, transformation theory provided an established framework to understand the process of transformation, and the notion of threshold concepts was used to conceptualise the ‘aha’ moment and name potential teaching threshold concepts. Aotearoa New Zealand specific teacher self-efficacy studies are important because studies in other contexts have shown self-efficacy is a predictor of teacher motivation, resilience and persistence in the face of difficulties and self-efficacy is linked to successful student achievement. In understanding the relationship between ‘aha’ moments and how these contribute to teacher self-efficacy development, there is the potential for professional learning opportunities that support self-efficacy promotion. Eleven early career teachers shared their experiences of ‘aha’ moments and their interpretation of the role these played in their teacher self-efficacy development. This research found that ‘aha’ moments were personal learning realisations that contributed to change in teacher self-efficacy and that the transformational development of teacher self-efficacy can be understood as a process containing four distinct phases. Furthermore, the transformative ‘aha’ moments, and in particular those that constituted a teaching specific potential threshold concept, provided teachers with an enhanced awareness of teaching capability. Finally, mastery experiences (successful and unsuccessful) were the most commonly described source of efficacy information related to the teachers’ ‘aha’ moments.Item Living a healthy life : an evaluation of a self-management for chronic conditions course, Arthritis New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science (Health Psychology) at Massey University(Massey University, 2004) Pretorius, CharleneChronic disease management is a major challenge for health care systems in the developed world. Self-management has the ability to help improve health status, health behaviours and reduce health care utilisation for people with chronic disease. In this exploratory before-after cohort study, questionnaires were distributed to people with chronic disease attending a self-management course offered by Arthritis New Zealand. Ninety-four people at baseline, and at six months, 67 people, completed eight health status, four health behaviour, one self-efficacy, and six health care utilisation measures. The 67 participants at six months also completed seven course evaluation measures in addition to course delivery, social support, course barrier and course attendance measures. The relationship at onset between self-efficacy and health status was analysed using a stepwise regression. Self-efficacy, which accounted for 27% of variance, was significantly related to health distress and to the energy levels of participants. To determine the relationship between self-efficacy and self-management behaviours at baseline, standard multiple regressions were run. Self-efficacy was unrelated to the self- management behaviours of the participants at the course onset. To analyse the mediation effect of self-efficacy on health status a stepwise regression was run, while holding self-efficacy constant. Self-efficacy at six months explained 42% of the variance in baseline self-efficacy, after controlling for baseline self-efficacy in the second model, self-efficacy at six months was significantly related to perceived illness intrusiveness and accounted for an additional 58% of the variance. Two hierarchical stepwise-regressions assessed the mediation effect of self-efficacy on self-management behaviours. Self-efficacy at six months accounted for no additional variance in the participants' self-management skills. Paired t-tests and Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed ranks measured changes in health status, self-efficacy, health behaviours and health care utilisation. No significant improvements occurred in health status. Significant improvements occurred in four health outcomes. Independent t-tests and the Mann- Whitney tests identified significant differences between gender, age and location with health status, health behaviour and health care utilisation outcomes at baseline and at six months. The process evaluation of the course showed general satisfaction. Explanations for the results are offered, limitations of the study are highlighted, and suggestions for future chronic disease self-management research are proposed.Item Emotional intelligence (EI) and self-efficacy : how beneficial are they within a transactional model of occupational stress? : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology(Massey University, 2008) Senarath-Dassenayake, IndunilThe purpose of this research was to assess the relationships between emotional intelligence (EI), self-efficacy, cognitive stress appraisals, coping strategies and affect responses based on Lazarus and Folkman's (1984), transactional model of stress. The study consisted of 89 employees from three organisations of the private sector in New Zealand. The participants completed a web-based survey which included self-report questionnaires of Cognitive Appraisal Scale (CAS), the Brief COPF, the workplace Swinburne University Emotional Intelligence Test (workplace SUEIT), the General Self-efficacy Scale and the Job Related Affective Wellbeing Scale (JAWS). The research findings indicated that there were associations between threat appraisal, maladaptive coping (i.e., avoidance) and negative affect. Associations were not found in the positive pathway of the model (i.e., challenge appraisal, adaptive coping, e.g., task focused and emotion approach coping, and positive affect). Associations were also found between emotional intelligence, task focused coping and positive affect. Similarly self-efficacy was found to be an effective resource factor in task focused coping and positive affect. Self-efficacy significantly related positively with challenge appraisal and negatively with threat appraisal. Both EI and self-efficacy associated negatively with emotion approach coping which included seeking instrumental and emotional support. There was a strong association found between EI and self-efficacy which supported previous empirical findings that cognition and emotion play an inter-connected role in the stress process. Surprisingly, EI and self-efficacy did not mediate between challenge appraisal - adaptive coping and adaptive coping - positive affect responses respectively. Future implications of the study are that both emotional intelligence and self-efficacy should be considered as efficient positive personal resources in organisations. Since both these strengths can be learnt and developed, it was recommended that close consideration should be given to enhance these skills among employees of varied job roles. Effective use of emotional intelligence and self-efficacy are likely to create happy, optimistic, engaged workers who will he equipped with healthy leadership styles, manage relationships better, will be cooperative and work well in teams. This study extends prior research that has identified relationships between cognitive appraisal, coping and affect in a transaction model of stress. It also explored the relationship of emotional intelligence and self-efficacy within this stress model. It addresses the effective use of two human strengths which will enhance adaptive coping strategies to experience positive psychological states in demanding situations. Consistent with the recent escalating investigations and approaches in the field of positive psychology, this study gives rise to focus on developing positive strengths in employees in the workplace - which may prove more rewarding than attempting to repair or minimize their weaknesses.Item Sing? not me! : a study of student teachers' singing self-efficacy : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education, Massey University(Massey University, 2000) Boyack, Jennifer ElizabethThis study documents the singing self-efficacy beliefs of 165 primary teacher education students at a New Zealand university. Quantitative and qualitative methodologies were used in order to establish a singing self-efficacy profile for the group under investigation, and to explore the factors which influenced the development of their beliefs. Participants completed a questionnaire containing Likert-scale items and open-ended questions. Data on gender, age and ethnicity were also collected. In-depth interviews were conducted with three students who identified as having low self-efficacy. Analysis of the quantitative data revealed a wide range of singing self-efficacy beliefs. Although the study found no differences in self-efficacy on the basis of gender or age, Maori students appeared to hold more positive beliefs about their singing capability than European/Pakeha students. Three factors, other people, the self, and musical experiences, emerged as significant in the development of students' singing self-efficacy. Because of the prevalence of performance-oriented goal structures in New Zealand school music programmes, and because of fixed rather than incremental conceptions of singing ability, individuals who learn to sing accurately early in their lives are more likely to develop high self-efficacy in singing. The study revealed little evidence of the impact of vocal development research on beliefs about singing capability. Student teachers with low self-efficacy in singing often express anxiety about how they will meet the requirement to teach singing as part of the classroom programme. There is also a strong likelihood that teachers will perpetuate the practices which contributed to their own beliefs about singing capability. It is important therefore to understand how singing self-efficacy develops and to identify classroom goal structures which facilitate the development of both singing skills and positive singing self-efficacy.Item What factors influence self-efficacy in teachers using mobile digital technology within the secondary school classroom? : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand(Massey University, 2014) Tilton, Josephine AnneAs digital technologies develop and change so do the way these tools are integrated into classrooms. In particular as mobile digital technologies develop further, there is a need to investigate how teachers engage with these both personally and in the classroom. Research has consistently indicated that a key element regarding the use and integration of digital technologies in the classroom are teachers’ underlying beliefs and attitudes, including self-‐efficacy theory. In this study, changes in and factors influencing mobile digital technology self-‐ efficacy are examined using a mixed methods research design. The study focused on the perspective of teachers in their first year of implementing a one-‐to-‐one iPad mini device programme within the context of an international school in Germany. Over the course of the implementation, all teachers reported some increase in the use of the iPad mini in the classroom, regardless of their own personal self-‐efficacy concerning the device. Findings included self-‐efficacy influences such as enactive experiences, modeling and coaching, with enactive experience being a foremost contributor to the development of teacher mobile technology self-‐efficacy. A sense of classroom collective efficacy was also a key finding. This sense of collective efficacy demonstrates a shared confidence between teacher and students in the classroom context regarding the use of the iPad mini devices. Device affordances in student organisation, differentiation (by difficulty and interest), and the encouragement of student agency were also evident as additional findings in the data, and contributed to the teachers’ perceived value of the iPad mini device.Item A study of the influence of e-mail attitude and self-efficacy on the well-being of university staff : a thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University(Massey University, 2000) Selak, Evana MThe present study attempts to explore a cross section of university staff members' attitude towards the use of electronic mail (e-mail), their levels of self-efficacy (general, computer, and e-mail), and their sense of well-being; along with any possible relationships that may exist between these key constructs and various demographics. The factor structure of the e-mail attitude scale was also examined to see if it reflected tricomponent attitude theory. These areas have not been previously explored within New Zealand, and international research pertaining to these constructs is both fragmented and limited. A questionnaire was distributed to 2253 full-time Massey University staff members at the Albany and Palmerston North campuses according to the Human Resource Sections employment database as at the 1st March 2000. There were 569 respondents, yielding a response rate of 25.3% which was marginally below the desired 30%. The results indicated that this sample of Massey University staff members have a moderately positive attitude towards e-mail that reflects tricomponent attitudinal weightings, that staff engage in moderate levels of e-mail usage and that the most common purpose of e-mail use within the university was for administrative purposes. Overall the university staff demonstrated high levels of well-being and general self-efficacy, but only moderate levels of computer and e-mail based efficacy. The results of this study support Sherer, Maddux, Merchandante, Prentice-Dunn, Jacobs, and Rogers (1982) conceptualisation of general efficacy and provides some evidence of concurrent validity for the well-being scales. Further to this, differences between other types of efficacy and well-being scores generated from previous research emerged as did demographic differences. Hierarchical regression analysis based on the work of Baron and Kenny (1986) revealed that general efficacy was the only measure of efficacy to mediate the relationship between facets of e-mail attitude and well-being. General efficacy partially mediated the relationship between the affective e-mail attitude component and positive affect, and the behavioural e-mail attitude component and negative affect, as well as completely mediating the relationship between the behavioural e-mail attitude component and general life satisfaction. In concluding the limitations and recommendations for future research are also discussed.Item Jake just does scribbles but I do pictures : drawing self-efficacy and the messages four to nine-year-old children give and receive about their drawing : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Education at Massey University(Massey University, 2003) Richards, Rosemary DThis study investigates the drawing self-efficacy of 136 four to nine-year-olds and the messages they gave and received about their art. Participants responded to a 36-question questionnaire, informed by Bandura's self-efficacy theory (1986). Thirty-five children were interviewed, and 48 were observed. Analysis of the questionnaires revealed that drawing self-efficacy scores ranged from low to high. Over half of the sample had quite high to high drawing self-efficacy. Statistical analyses revealed no significant differences in terms of gender or year levels. However, the Gender by Year Level interaction effect for drawing self-efficacy was statistically significant. The greatest effect size occurred between boys and girls at year four level where boys scored over 1 standard deviation unit lower than the mean, and at new entrant level where boys scored almost 1 standard deviation unit lower than the mean. At the year two level the boys were almost three-quarters of a standard deviation unit above the mean. Analyses revealed significant differences for subscales on preferences, levels of difficulty, emotional responses, vicarious experiences, and effort and persistence. Data for preferences showed that girls were more likely to choose art activities than boys, and year two children showed the highest preference for art activities while kindergarten children showed the lowest. At the same time there was a general trend towards a decline in drawing confidence as the year levels increased, as shown by responses to items on levels of difficulty. Overall, drawing was an emotionally positive experience except at year four level, where the boys where over one standard deviation unit lower than the mean. Year two children had the highest emotional responses to drawing and year four children had the lowest. Findings suggested that younger children responded more positively to vicarious experiences than older children, believing themselves capable of drawing competently if others could. New entrant girls showed the highest level of effort and persistence, and year four boys the lowest. In general, friends, family and teachers gave positive messages to children about their drawings. Some children linked drawing competency with reading ability and data revealed a statistically significant Reading Age by Year Level interaction effect for drawing self-efficacy. Data suggests that at years two and three there was a positive relationship between high reading age and drawing self-efficacy scores. In year four the inverse was observed. However, statistically significant contrasts were not identified. Several themes and messages emerged from observations and interviews. In the kindergarten proportionally more girls than boys engaged in art activities. Self-selected interactions in both sites favoured same-sex groupings, and in general girls commented more positively about each other's drawings than boys did. Regardless of gender, children with high drawing self-efficacy appeared more confident and gave and received more positive messages than children with lower drawing self-efficacy. Children commented on scribbling and linked drawing to reading and writing abilities. Teachers did not comment about the right and wrong ways to draw, but children measured success by external rewards and by criteria applied to other curriculum areas. Children were critical of each other's drawings and at times the teacher's neutral comments were re-interpreted as negative comments. Emotional responses to art were also linked to patterns of friendship. Children, at all levels, emphasised effort over ability as a reason for success with drawing. Children who had a reputation for drawing specific topics often displayed higher drawing self-efficacy than age peers, and by year three the issues of ownership of ideas and copying were apparent. At both sites children provided a greater source of verbal persuasion than teachers. The teachers were positive at all times, although they tended to praise appropriate behaviour rather than comment on elements of the drawings. In general children with the highest drawing self-efficacy were the most resilient to negative messages and experiences. Findings did not support a strong relationship between teachers' comments and levels of drawing self-efficacy. However there was some support for the view that children's drawing self-efficacy declines once a child attends school, when gender and year level are both considered. In this sample the girls had an increase in drawing self-efficacy when they started school that dropped marginally in year one, but then continued to increase with age. On the other hand the boys had a drop in drawing self-efficacy on starting school, that then increased until year two, and then took a sharp decline. Qualitative data tended to support these findings. Recommendations for instructional practices in schools and kindergartens include a focus on participation, theme and inquiry-based programmes, critiquing of artworks, children teaching children, teacher professional development, and understanding drawing self-efficacy levels of children.Item The relationship between learner control and online learning self-efficacy : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education at Massey University, Manawatu campus, New Zealand(Massey University, 2014) Taipjutorus, WidchapornOnline learning has been growing rapidly in recent years, providing increased opportunities for tertiary institutes to reach out to learners who previously may have had limited access to a traditional university. Although students frequently use information technologies in their daily life, online learning requires considerably more competencies than basic computer skills. Many students are unsuccessful in their learning without face-to-face contact and collaboration with lecturers and peers. They can feel isolated and doubt their ability to succeed in the online course. To increase online learner success, support is needed, especially to improve learner self-efficacy. Very few studies have focused on student self-efficacy in an online learning environment and especially those conducted in an authentic setting. Learner control is thought to facilitate students in online learning, but the relationship between learner control and learner self-efficacy is still unclear. Therefore, this study intends to examine this relationship using an embedded-correlational mixed method design to answer the research question, what is the relationship between learner control and online learning self-efficacy? The quantitative approach was used to find the correlations among learner control, online learning self-efficacy, and related variables such as age, gender, prior online experience, and computer skills. An online Learning Self-efficacy Scale (OLSES) was constructed and validated with an internal consistency of 0.895. Open-ended questions were added to the questionnaire to gain a greater level of insight of online learning experience in relation to self-efficacy and learner control. Seventy-five students in a four year teaching online programme at a New Zealand tertiary institute participated in the online survey. Data analyses revealed that the relationship between learner control and online learning self-efficacy was confirmed, r = .526, p < .01. Age and gender had no effect on the relationship while prior online experience, computer skills for social and academic purposes did. The multiple linear regression showed that learner control and computer skills for academic purpose are good predictors of online learning self-efficacy. Analyses of the qualitative data not only confirmed the quantitative findings, but also provided insight into the nature of self-efficacy and importance of feedback in the online setting. As a result of this study, the embedded framework for successful line learners (SUCCESS) was developed and is recommended as a set of guidelines for online learning developers.