The relationships between efficacy beliefs (self, teacher, and collective) and the planning and teaching of computational thinking : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education at Massey University (distance), New Zealand

Abstract

Computational thinking is recognised as a vital skill to adequately prepare students for future jobs in contemporary society. Students need to develop advanced computational skills, and teachers need the knowledge and skills to integrate CT into their classroom instruction. This multiple case study aimed to understand the relationships between self, teacher, and collective efficacy beliefs and how primary/ elementary level school leaders and teachers plan and teach computational thinking (CT). Drawing upon Bandura's self-efficacy theory, the research identifies how various contextual and domain-specific factors shape self, teacher, and collective efficacy beliefs. Self-efficacy beliefs refer to an individual's confidence in their own ability to successfully execute the actions required to achieve specific goals or handle particular situations. Teacher efficacy beliefs are a specific application of the broader concept of self-efficacy in the context of teaching. Teacher efficacy beliefs refer to a teacher's confidence in their ability to foster student learning, manage classrooms, and overcome challenges related to teaching. Collective efficacy is the shared belief among a group of people in their combined ability to achieve goals or address challenges and extends the concept of self-efficacy from the individual to the group level. In particular, a focus of the study was how the sources of efficacy judgements were either supported or undermined by various factors, contributing to self, teacher, and collective efficacy of the participants. This research is important because there is less research focused on the assessment of all four sources of self-efficacy, and limited research on how teachers describe teaching experiences that impact their efficacy beliefs. From two New Zealand based cases, and one case in the United States (US), findings confirm the multifaceted nature of efficacy beliefs, and highlights the significance of factors such as professional development (PD), resource availability, time constraints, collaboration, and leadership support on teachers and school leaders’ efficacy judgements. Enactive mastery experiences were the most commonly described source of efficacy judgement in relation to these factors. This research offers valuable insights into the complex interplay of factors shaping efficacy beliefs in CT education, thereby informing strategies for increasing teacher support, refining professional development practices, and creating effective educational policies for CT integration in schools/school districts.