Correlates of Public Kindergarten Teachers’ Self-efficacy and Their Developmentally Appropriate Practice Beliefs in Selected Districts in the Central Region, Ghana

Abstract

The study examined relationships between Kindergarten Teachers’ Self-efficacy and their Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) beliefs in selected pubic basic schools in two Districts in the Central Region, Ghana. The study was underpinned by Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory. The cross-sectional survey design was adopted for the study. Simple Random and Purposive sampling techniques were used in selecting the districts and kindergarten teachers. The sample size for the study was 274 kindergarten teachers, data analysis was however based on responses from 264 of them. An adaption of the long version of Tschannen Moran and Hoy Self-efficacy scale and self developed items from the 12 principles of DAP were used to gather data. Means, Pearsons Product Moment Correlation Coefficient and Standard Multiple Regression were used in analyzing data. The findings revealed that kindergarten teachers’ beliefs in employing DAP in kindergarten settings was high. There was a small but positive statistically significant correlation between kindergarten teachers’ self-efficacy and their developmentally appropriate practice beliefs. It also came to light that, of the three self-efficacy sub-variables, kindergarten teachers’ self-efficacy in instructional strategies was the strongest predictor of their developmentally appropriate practice beliefs. It was recommended that stakeholders should organize workshops, seminars, for kindergarten teachers to enable them become abreast with current trends that would increase their self-efficacy and also their belief in their ability to use DAP.