Shepherd's Faculty Research Forum lecture to be held October 11

ISSUED: 7 October 2011
MEDIA CONTACT: Valerie Owens
(Shepherd's Faculty Research Forum lecture to be held October 11)

Shepherdstown, WV--The second lecture in the Shepherd University's Faculty Research Forum will be held Tuesday, October 11 at noon in the Robert C. Byrd Center for Legislative Studies with "The Effects of Early Clinical Teaching Experiences on Pre-Service Teachers' Self-Efficacy," presented by Dr. Jared Androzzi, assistant professor of health, physical education, recreation, and sport.

Androzzi's study investigated the psychosocial dynamics of a course specifically-designed to improve Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) students' self-efficacy, teaching ability, and sociological perceptions of teaching. The study examined 27 PETE majors who taught lessons they constructed to elementary-aged children and then completed the Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale. The test results found a significant difference in subjects' overall self-efficacy. Cross-case analyses of lesson plan reflections, course evaluations, and individual interviews with six randomly-selected subjects found that "performance accomplishments" and "vicarious experiences" played a significant role in improving subjects' self-efficacy. Androzzi's findings illustrate the need for teacher education programs to emphasize cultural competence and abundant teaching experiences.

The final faculty research forum will be presented by Dr. Belinda Mitchell, assistant professor of education, on Wednesday, November 16 at noon in the Robert C. Byrd Center for Legislative Studies.

For more information about the Shepherd Faculty Research Forum, visit http://www.shepherd.edu/aaweb/frf/.

-30-YOUNG

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