Advisor(s)

Keith Gurley

Committee Member(s)

Amy Dagley
Diana Gurley
Jennifer Summerlin
Miyoshi Jurgensen

Document Type

Dissertation

Date of Award

6-1-2026

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

School

School of Education

Department

Educational Leadership

Abstract

Historically, research has shown that teacher self-efficacy positively influences student achievement (Gibson & Dembo, 1984; Tschannen-Moran et al., 1998; Muijs & Reynolds, 2001). With the sudden shift to digital instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic and the changes in literacy practices and assessment, teachers have been required to implement new instructional strategies. Grounded in Bandura’s (1977) self-efficacy theory, my research explored how mastery experiences and teacher mindsets influence student success in this changing environment. This study employed an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design to investigate the perceptions of current middle school English Language Arts (MS ELA) teachers about their literacy self-efficacy. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and the Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy for Literacy Instruction (TSELI) survey (Tschannen-Moran & Johnson, 2011). Qualitative thematic analysis was integrated with quantitative survey data to determine which experiences most significantly influenced literacy self-efficacy. Findings indicated that while teachers felt efficacious regarding general reading and writing strategies, they felt unprepared to support students with foundational reading deficits. The study concluded that leadership must prioritize job-embedded professional development, and university preparation programs should include foundational literacy training for secondary educators to better address diverse student needs in the future.

Keywords

Adolescent Literacy;Literacy Practices;Middle School ELA Teachers;Mixed-Methods Research;Teacher Self-Efficacy

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