Seton Hall University eRepository @ Seton Hall Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs) 2009 Enabling Structure and Collective Efficacy: a Study of Teacher Perceptions in Elementary Divisions of American Schools in Mexico Dereck H. Rhoads Seton Hall University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarship.shu.edu/dissertations Part of the Educational Administration and Supervision Commons, and the Elementary Education and Teaching Commons Recommended Citation Rhoads, Dereck H., "Enabling Structure and Collective Efficacy: a Study of Teacher Perceptions in Elementary Divisions of American Schools in Mexico" (2009). Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs). 397. https://scholarship.shu.edu/dissertations/397 ENABLING STRUCTURE AND COLLECTIVE EFFICACY: A STUDY OF TEACHER PERCEPTIONS IN ELEMENTARY DIVISIONS OF AMERICAN SCHOOLS IN MEXICO DERECK H. RHOADS Dissertation Committee Mary Ruzicka, Ph.D., Mentor James A. Caulfield, Ed.D. Barry Ruthf ield, Ed .D. Peter M. K. Chin, Ph.D. Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Education Seton Hall University SETON HALL UNIVERSITY COI,LEGID&OF XIJCATIONAM) HUMAN SERVICE& OPF1Ca OF GRADVATE SNDIeS APPROVAL FOR SlKTESSFL'L DEFENSE uocmrd Candidate, Dercck Rhurdh has success~ullyclok.ndad std made the required modifications to die text of the doctoral dimtionforth Ed&. dhgIhiu sprin; Semstcr 2Ua Mentor: Thc mcntur and my vlha commicw members who wish tomicw rcviviuns will sign mu1 date this dacnnient mly whcn rcvisiw. have been compIeM. Plme return this form to the Oflice olXrsdwe Studies, where it will bo phdin the camlidak's lilc md submit n copy witb yuur fmnl disseWiOn lo he hnundas pgc numbatwu. ABSTRACT Enabling Structure and Collective Efficacy: A Study of Teacher Perceptions in Elementary Divisions of American Schools in Mexico The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between enabling school structure and collective efficacy as perceived by teachers working in an elementary division of an American School in Mexico. A descriptive design was used to investigate the relationship between teacher perception of school structure and collective teacher efficacy in the elementary school divisions of American Schools in Mexico during a 1-month period. Two hundred sixty teachers representing 15 of the 18 American Schools in Mexico participated by completing an Internet-based survey. A quantitative analysis of teacher perceptions using data from two instruments is presented. The variable of perception of school structure was measured using Hoy and Sweetland's (2000) Enabling School Structure (ESS) survey instrument. The variable of collective efficacy was measured using Goddard, Hoy, and Hoy's (2000) Collective Efficacy (CE) instrument. This study supports the belief a school's structure and its faculty's collective efficacy iii beliefs are positively correlated. The relationship between enabling school structure and collective efficacy in American Schools in Mexico was found to be significant, moderate, and positive. Evidence from this study indicates that the more enabling a school's structure, the greater the degree of perceived collective efficacy. Based on these findings, developing and maintaining an enabling and supportive school environment should be a top priority for school administrators. A discussion of these findings as well as recommendations for policy, practice, and future research are presented. @ Copyright by ~ereckH. Rhoads, 2009 All Rights Reserved ACKNOWLEDGMENTS It was a pleasure to attend Seton Hall University. My learning flourished under the guidance of the SHU faculty. I am grateful to my mentor, Dr. Mary Ruzicka. Her continuous direction and prompt assistance were invaluable Dr. James Caulfield was instrumental in my success at SHU. I would like to thank Dr. Peter Chin and Dr. Barry Ruthfield for their unwavering guidance and encouragement. Lastly, I would like to thank Dr. Jeff Keller for his assistance. DEDICATION It is my honor to dedicate this study to my wife, Alisa, and my two daughters, Lizzie and Emma. Thank you for your love! You are, by far, my greatest joy. Having you in my life exceedingly surpasses all other events. I would like to thank my mother, Marion Rhoads, for always believing in me and encouraging me. Thank you, Mom; your love has made all the difference. In addition, I would like to thank my brothers, Brad and Scott, as well as my sister and brother-in-law, Nancy and Daryl. My educational journey would not have been possible without your love! Most importantly, I would like to thank God and my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. His love guides my life and my work as an educator. I am truly blessed! vii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ............................................ X LIST OF FIGURES .......................................... xi I INTRODUCTION ........................................ 1 Problem Statement ............................... 5 Theoretical Framework ........................... 7 Significance of Study ........................... 9 Research Question .............................. 10 Variables ...................................... 10 Hypothesis Statement ........................... 10 Definitions .................................... 10 Limitations .................................... 11 II LITERATURE REVIEW .................................. 14 Perceptions of School Structure ................ 14 Collective Teacher Efficacy .................... 23 I11 METHODOLOGY ........................................ 29 Population ..................................... 29 Participants ................................... 29 Procedure ...................................... 30 Instruments .................................... 30 ESS Instrument ................................. 31 CE Instrument .................................. 35 Instrument Summary ............................. 38 Design ......................................... 39 IV RESULTS ............................................ 40 Research Question .............................. 42 Hypothesis Statement ........................... 45 Additional and Unplanned Analysis .............. 45 V SUMMARY. DISCUSSION. AND RECOMMENDATIONS ........... 47 Summary ........................................ 47 Discussion ..................................... 48 Recommendations for Policy and Practice ........ 54 Recommendations for Future Research ............ 56 viii Final Summary .................................. 59 References ............................................... 61 Appendixes A Letter of Permission to Use Instruments ............. 68 B Survey Instrument ................................... 70 C Letters of Consent .................................. 75 D Participating Schools ............................... 91 E Letter of Invitation ................................ 93 F Teacher Surveys ..................................... 96 G Statistical Outputs ................................ 191 LIST OF TABLES Table 1 . ESS Instrument .................................. 32 Table 2 . CE Instrument ................................... 36 Table 3 . Summary of Aggregate School Scores .............. 41 Table 4 . Descriptive Statistics .......................... 43 Table 5 . Correlations .................................... 44 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Theoretical framework. .......................... 8 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Schools are complex organizations. School administrators must possess a unique set of skills necessary to accomplish both managerial and leadership tasks. However, the importance of management is often downplayed, and the understanding of what constitutes leadership is not always clear. In the words of Sergiovanni (2007), "defining leadership is not easy, yet most of us know it when we see it" (p. 82). In fact, much has been written regarding what leadership is and how leaders should act (Bolman & Deal, 2002; Collins, 2001; Evans, 1996; Fullan, 2001; Glickman, Gordon, & Ross-Gordon, 2006; Heifetz & Linsky, 2002; Kouzes & Posner, 2002; McLane, 2007; Sergiovanni, 2001; Starratt, 2004; Tschannen-Moran, 2004; Waters, Marzano, & McNulty, 2003). Gardner (1990) distinguished between leadership and management, stating, "many writers on leadership take considerable pains to distinguish between leaders and managers. In the process leaders generally end up looking like a cross between Napoleon and the Pied Piper, and managers like unimaginative clods" (p. 3). The problem with distinguishing management from leadership is that the importance of administrative duties can be missed. For example, according to the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), 'no longer can a principal be judged solely on how well he or she manages the administrative duties of a school. The quality of the principal must relate to a school's capacity to ensure achievement for all children" (NAESP, 2004). NAESP's statement suggests that "administrative duties" and 'a school's capacity to ensure achievement" are mutually exclusive. It implies that the administrative duties of a principal are not connected to student achievement. On the contrary, there is a relationship between how administrative tasks are performed and student achievement (McGuigan & Hoy, 2006). This research investigated that relationship. In today's age of increased accountability and increased need for school safety, principals need to manage the structure of the school and lead for student achievement, rather