The Impact of SimSchool on Self-Efficacy of Pre-Service

Teachers Enrolled in a Mathematics Class

Julia Ledet—Southern University and A&M College

Janice Hinson—University of North Carolina-Charlotte

Albertha Lawson—Southern University and A&M College

Moustapha Diack—Southern University and A&M College

March 2, 2015, SITE, Las Vegas, Nevada

Introduction

Previous research has shown that simSchool, a classroom simulator for educators, was effective in increasing self-efficacy of elementary education majors enrolled in an education technology integration course, a special Ed methods class, and a reading/language arts methods class.

Introduction

This research will explore whether or not a similar gain in self-efficacy can be obtained when simSchool is used with pre-service teacher candidates in a mathematics class.

Literature ReviewUse of Simulations

Simulations have been used in educational settings for many years (Marks 2005). Two examples are:

• in training pilots and navigators to fly aircraft

• in the training of medical doctors to practice surgical procedures

Literature ReviewUse of Simulations

• Recently simulations depicting classroom settings have been used in the training of pre-service teachers.

• Some teacher training programs have used simSchool to help train teacher candidates (Christensen, Tyler-Wood, Knezek, & Gibson 2011; Knezek & Vandersall 2008; SPSU 2013).

Literature ReviewUse of Simulations

• The use of simSchool is designed to supplement and enhance the training of teachers and is not intended to replace the existing field experience of teacher candidates (Zibit, Gibson, & Halverson 2006).

Literature ReviewBenefits of Simulations

Zibit and Gibson (2005) cite two benefits for using simulations in leaning environments:

1) a simulation does not put real humans at risk

2) a person running a simulation can run and tweak the simulation multiple times in order to learn the underlying theories based on exploration.

Literature ReviewBenefits of Simulations

Zibit and Gibson (2005) also point out that by experimenting with a classroom simulator, pre-service teachers can get practice “teaching” a much bigger variety of students than would normally be seen in the regular classroom in one semester thereby enhancing the field experience of the teacher candidates.

Literature ReviewsimSchool

SimSchool is a computer simulation where the person running the simulation is the teacher in the simulated virtual classroom.

Gibson (2013) describes simSchool as a “flight simulator for teachers.”

Literature ReviewsimSchool

Literature ReviewsimSchool

Literature ReviewsimSchool

Literature ReviewSuccesses of simSchool

Studies by Christensen, Tyler-Wood, Knezek, & Gibson (2011); and Knezek & Vandersall (2008) with simSchool and pre-service elementary education majors enrolled in an education technology integration course, a special Ed methods class, and a reading/language arts methods class have shown that simSchool is effective in 1) increasing pre-service teacher self-efficacy2) improving teaching skills 3) generating a positive shift in the locus of

control of classroom learning

Literature ReviewSuccesses of simSchool

Southern Polytechnic State University in Georgia, has used simSchool in some of their UTeach classes. In the UTeach Program, emphasis is on training more STEM teachers to teach at the secondary level.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to explore the effect of the simSchool classroom simulator for educators on the sense of self-efficacy of teacher candidates enrolled in a mathematics class at a university in the southern part of the United States.

Focus of the Study The focus of this research is pre-service

teacher self-efficacy. There is an implicit assumption that teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs impact the quality of their instruction (Holzberger, Philipp, & Kunter 2013).

If simSchool can be shown to positively impact the self-efficacy of pre-service elementary teachers in a mathematics class, then it might be beneficial to use simSchool in the training of these teacher candidates.

Benefits of the StudyThis research may help novice

teachers enter the profession more aware of how to handle the individual students in a classroom.

Exploring the teacher training of teacher candidates by using a classroom simulator for educators can provide insight into best practices for teacher training, particularly when one has limited time and resources as in rural areas.

Research Questions

The following questions guide this study: 1) To what extent will teacher

candidates show any changes in their overall sense of teacher self-efficacy?

2) To what extent will teacher candidates show any changes in their sense of self-efficacy as it pertains to classroom management?

Research Questions

The following questions guide this study: 3) To what extent will teacher

candidates show any changes in their sense of self-efficacy as it pertains to instructional strategy?

4) To what extent will teacher candidates show any changes in their sense of self-efficacy as it pertains to student engagement?

MethodologyDesign

This study incorporated a mixed methods design with the quantitative results contained in this report.

MethodologyPopulation and Sample

The population for this study was elementary education majors enrolled in a mathematics class at a typical university.

The sample for this study was composed of 46 students enrolled in MATH 2203 Measurement: Proportional and Algebraic Reasoning, a required 3 hour mathematics course for students majoring in elementary education at this particular university. All students taking Math 2203 are elementary education majors in their final semester before student teaching.

MethodologyPopulation and Sample

The study was conducted in three separate sections of Math 2203, A, B, and C, with 17, 19, and 10 students in each section completing the study.

MethodologyQuantitative Data Collection

Data collection took place over five weeks during the Fall 2014 Semester with interviews following a month later.

Quantitative data collection consisted of using the long form of the Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) (Tschannen-Moran & Woolfolk Hoy 2001) as a pre-and posttest.

Methodology Quantitative Data Collection

TSES was patterned after Bandura’s self-efficacy instrument with some of the same questions appearing on both.

The long form of TSES has 24 questions all answered using a Likert type scale ranging from 1 to 9 with 1 being “None at all” and 9 being “A Great Deal.”

Methodology Quantitative Data Collection

Some sample questions include:How much can you do to help

your students think critically?How much can you do to calm a

student who is disruptive or noisy?

How well can you implement alternative strategies in your classroom?

MethodologyQuantitative Data Analysis

In scoring the instrument the 24 questions are partitioned into three groups with eight questions in each group. One group measures self-efficacy in instructional strategy; another group measures self-efficacy in student engagement; and the third group measures self-efficacy in classroom management. Overall self-efficacy is measured by scoring all 24 questions together.

MethodologyQuantitative Data Analysis

Data collected via TSES pre-and posttests were coded into numerical values using an Excel spreadsheet.

An average score for each student was computed in each of the self-efficacy categories of instructional strategies, student engagement, classroom management, and overall self-efficacy.

MethodologyQuantitative Data Analysis

The average scores for the pre-and posttests of each student in each category were then copied into SPSS 12.0 for further analysis.

The pre-and post-scores for each category were analyzed using a paired samples t-test.

MethodologyProcedure

The study took place over a several weeks.

Week 1—Pre-Test Data CollectionWeek 2—Introduction to simSchoolWeek 3—Fall BreakWeeks 4 and 5—Running and Debriefing

Selected simSchool SimulationsWeek 5—Posttest Data CollectionOne Month Later—Selected Participants

Were Interviewed

MethodologyProcedure

Selected simSchool Simulations included:

1) Everly’s Bad Day2) Everly’s Better Day3) Lacey’s Self-Esteem4) Lacey Needs Direction5) Introducing the Five Student

Classroom6) Designing a Lesson Plan7) Improving a Lesson Plan

MethodologyFindings

When comparing the means of self-efficacy in each category from the pre-test to the posttest, each mean decreased from the pre-test to the posttest.

It is worth noting that the decrease in the two means for self-efficacy of instructional strategy was very slight as the pre-test mean in this category was 6.978 and the posttest mean was 6.948, making these two means virtually equal.

MethodologyFindings

Paired Sample Statistics

Mean N Std. Deviation Std. Error MeanPair 1 PreTotal 7.0760476 46 .79472742 .11717617

PostTotal 6.8555254 46 .92632123 .13657861

Pair 2 PreManage 7.0920031 46 .90965132 .13412077

PostManage 6.8396739 46 1.18164876 .17422460

Pair 3 PreStrategy 6.9782609 46 .95463211 .14075283

PostStrategy 6.9483696 46 .99218337 .14628946

Pair 4 PreEngage 7.1603261 46 .92446044 .13630426

PostEngage 6.7785326 46 .90750215 .13380389

MethodologyFindings

With an alpha level of 0.05, statistical significance was found in relation to the fourth research question in the decrease of self-efficacy related to student engagement with p = 0.005. For the remaining three research questions no significant difference was found in the change in self-efficacy as it pertains to instructional strategies, classroom management, and overall sense of self-efficacy.

MethodologyFindings

Paired Samples Test

Paired Differences t dfSig. (2-tailed)

MeanStd.

DeviationStd. Error

Mean95% Confidence Interval

of the Difference

Lower Upper Pair 1 PreTotal -

PostTotal.220522 .777720 .114669 -.010432 .451476 1.923 45 .061

Pair 2 PreManage - PostManage

.252329 .968938 .142862 -.035410 .540068 1.766 45 .084

Pair 3 PreStrategy - PostStrategy

.029891 1.001452 .147656 -.267503 .327286 .202 45 .840

Pair 4 PreEngage - PostEngage

.381793 .870647 .128370 .123243 .640344 2.974 45 .005

MethodologyDiscussion

Although the use of simSchool did not show an increase in the participants’ sense of self-efficacy, this is not necessarily an unexpected result.

Previous simSchool studies showing an increase in self-efficacy were carried out in classes where the pre-service teacher candidates were in their second year of a four year program.

MethodologyDiscussion

One previous study with pre-service teacher candidates in their final semester before student teaching did not show an increase in self-efficacy (Christensen, Tyler-Wood, Knezek, & Gibson 2011).

The participants in this study were in their final semester before student teaching.

Based on the findings from this study and the work of others, it may be more beneficial to incorporate simSchool earlier in teacher education programs rather than later.

MethodologyDiscussion

One possible confounding variable in this study could be that, as part of another class, participants in the study were already taking part in field experience activities involving teaching a few lessons to a class of real elementary students.

On the day of the posttest several of the participants were voicing concerns and frustrations they were having related to the field experience component in this other class.

MethodologyDiscussion

As a teacher’s sense of self-efficacy is constantly changing (Holzberger, Philipp, & Kunter 2013), it could be that the decrease in self-efficacy from the pretest to the posttest may have been due to the frustrations the participants were feeling as a result of the other class they were taking rather than their simSchool experience.

MethodologyImplications for Further Research

Future simSchool research in a mathematics class for pre-service teacher candidates should take place earlier in the curriculum, possibly in the first or second year.

MethodologyImplications for Further Research

If simSchool can be shown to have an increase in a pre-service teacher candidate’s sense of self-efficacy in an earlier mathematics class, then this higher sense of self-efficacy might translate to higher instructional quality when the pre-service teacher engages a classroom of real students in subsequent courses.

ReferencesChristensen, R., Tyler-Wood, T., Knezek, G., & Gibson, D. (2011). SimSchool: An online dynamic

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Quality: A Longitudinal Analysis. Journal of Educational Psychology. Advance online publication. doi:

10.1037/a0032198Knezek, G., & Vandersall, K. (2008). simMentoring Results. simZine. Stowe: Curveshift. Learning styles inventory. Retrieved from

http://www.educationplanner.org/students/self-assessments/learning-styles.shtmlMarks, D. (2005). Commentary on simulations in education. Retrieved from http://web.stanford.edu/class/symbsys205/commentaryonsimulationineducation.htmSouthern Polytechnic State University. (2013). Georgia Professional Standards Commission

institutional/agency report for developmental approval review of the professional education unit and educator preparation

programs. Retrieved from http://www.spsu.edu/spsuteach/SPSUinstitutionalreport.pdf

Tschannen-Moran, M., & Woolfolk Hoy, A. (2001). Teacher efficacy: Capturing an elusive construct. Teaching and Teacher Education, 17, 783-805.

Zibit, M., & Gibson, D. (2005). simSchool: The game of teaching. Journal of online education, 11(6). Zibit, M., Gibson, D. & Halverson, B. (2006). simSchool - Today's Preservice Students Prepare for

Tomorrow's Classrooms. In C. Crawford et al. (Eds.), (pp. 3130-3136). Chesapeake, VA: AACE.