Teachers’ beliefs in their ability to effectively handle the tasks that are related to their professional activity are an issue of concern for pre-service teachers. Many of them have low self-efficacy which can affect their output in future, and this can influence important academic outcomes on learners. The main purpose of this study was to factorially validate teachers’ self-efficacy scale (TSES) using pre-service teachers in public colleges of Education in Enugu State. A sample of 218 year three students in the schools of sciences and social sciences was drawn from a population of 2,127 students of public colleges of Education in Enugu State. Simple random sampling technique was used to draw two schools from the five schools in each of the colleges. Accidental sampling was used to draw the participants. The study adapted the teacher self-efficacy scale developed by Ma, Trevethan and Lu (2019). The instrument was construct validated using factor analysis while the internal consistency and stability reliability indices were estimated using Cronbach alpha method and Pearson correlation. The exploratory and confirmatory factors analyses were done using principal component matrix with Varimax rotation, while data model fit was tested using root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) and confirmatory factor index (CFI). Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and Analysis of a Moment Structures (AMOS) software were used to conduct the statistical analysis. The results showed that the scale was found to be valid and reliable and as well demonstrated a good model fit (RMSEA = .043, CFI = .943). The study has implication for teacher education training institutions in that the scale can be used as an effective instrument for determining the teaching self-efficacy of the pre-service teachers. Thus, it was recommended that various higher institutions for teacher education should make effective use of TSES in ascertaining the teaching self-efficacy of the pre-service teachers, especially during teaching practice exercises.
The study investigated the academic engagement and achievement orientation as correlates of reading culture of in-school adolescents in Enugu State, Nigeria. Using correlational survey research design, the study made use of a population of 3469 senior secondary 11 (SS11) in-school adolescents. A purposive sampling and stratified random sampling techniques were used to draw a sample of 340 in-school adolescents. Four research questions and two null hypotheses tested at 0.05 level of significance guided the study. The three instruments used for data collection were in-school adolescents' academic engagement scale (IAES), in-school adolescents' achievement orientation scale (IAAOS) and in-school adolescents' reading culture scale (IARCS). Research questions 1-3 were answered using means and standard deviation whereas research questions 4 and 5 were answered using Pearson r and R-square. The hypotheses were tested using analysis of variance (ANOVA) at 0.05 level of significance. It was found that in-school adolescents' academic engagement and achievement orientation significantly related with their reading culture. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended among others that, the government, school administrators and educators put concerted effort to encourage students to be mastery oriented and academically engaged in order to prevent deleterious outcomes associated with poor reading culture since high academic engagement and high achievement orientation relates with positive academic outcomes.
This study assesses students’ motivation for the pursuit of higher degree in the field of Education. Due to their current low-income status (mean value of less than $2 day) and their desired income (mean value of $500 per day) 10 years after acquiring the degree, it is instructive and tractable to examine the income effect of their motivation. Their current low-income status suggests that they are on the average, meeting basic needs such as food and clothing. In addition, their desired income suggests that they desire to possibly move up the zenith of the hierarchies of need. Thus, current income, desired income, choice to work in the educational sector, intended career destination, and (revealed) altruistic motive for teaching in primary and secondary schools after moving up in the ladder of needs were measures of motivation and dependent variables. Ordinary least squares (OLS) and discrete choice models were estimated to identify the determinants of these measures. Results show that very few students had wanted to study Education at undergraduate level. Motivation for their enrolment in postgraduate education, however, is apparently pecuniary and essentially market driven. Most of the students preferred high-paying professions within the education sector—lectureship positions in the tertiary institutions, influencing policies as politicians and political appointees, and running educational businesses. Although, a few students intended to teach in future at the basic level, primary and secondary levels, most of them possess altruistic motives to teach, that is, to mentor students.
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