Browsing by Author "Jaggernauth, Sharon Jacqueline"

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    Initial teacher efficacy of in-service secondary teachers in Trinidad and Tobago
    (2016-05-10) Jaggernauth, Sharon Jacqueline; Jameson-Charles, Madgerie
    Teacher efficacy is largely unexplored in Trinidad and Tobago, resulting in a deficit in understanding of teachers' beliefs about their ability to teach. This is important since teachers' beliefs influence how they feel about their work, how they assess and perform teaching tasks, and the educational experiences they provide for their students. This study examined three dimensions of teacher efficacy of secondary school teachers who were newly enrolled in an in-service teacher training programme at a university in Trinidad and Tobago. Teacher efficacy for classroom management, instructional strategies, and student engagement was measured using the Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale, and analysed for differences by participants' sex, age, years of service, and school type. There were no differences in teacher efficacy by teachers' sex and years of service. Teachers over 45 years reported significantly stronger teacher efficacy for classroom management than younger colleagues. Teachers at government-assisted schools reported significantly higher teacher efficacy for classroom management and student engagement than those at government schools. Follow-up research should examine the sources of efficacy information that influence teachers' practice, in order to determine the contextual factors related to the school environment that influence teacher efficacy, and the influence of teacher training on teacher efficacy beliefs
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    Mathematics anxiety and the primary school teacher: An exploratory study of the relationship between mathematics anxiety, mathematics teacher efficacy, and mathematics avoidance
    (2012-03-28) Jaggernauth, Sharon Jacqueline
    This study sought to clarify the relationship between mathematics anxiety, mathematics teacher efficacy, and mathematics avoidance among primary school teachers in Trinidad and Tobago. Data were collected through a self-reporting questionnaire administered to 68 primary school teachers. Findings revealed that: 1) while mathematics anxiety and mathematics avoidance were not evident among the teachers in the sample, female teachers reported higher levels of mathematics anxiety and mathematics avoidance than males; 2) teachers reported that they believed that they taught mathematics effectively and that they were comfortable teaching mathematics; and 3) there was no significant relationship between three constructs - mathematics anxiety, mathematics teacher efficacy, and mathematics avoidance - and teacher variables of highest level of educational achievement, type of school, the number of years teaching, and current programme in which they were enrolled.
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    Reflection on the Effects of Concrete Mathematics Manipulatives on Student Engagement and Problem Solving in Three Secondary Schools in Trinidad and Tobago
    (School of Education, UWI, 2020) Roberts, Jozette; Phipps, Sasha; Subeeksingh, Diandra; Jaggernauth, Sharon Jacqueline; Ramsawak-Jodha, Nalini; Dedovets, Zhanna
    This paper reports and reflects on three studies that explored changes in students’ engagement in learning mathematics, and their ability to solve mathematics problems in three secondary schools in Trinidad and Tobago. Concrete manipulatives were integrated into mathematics instruction over 4 weeks in Trigonometry at two sites, and Set Theory at one site. The individual studies employed multi-method quasi-experimental, single-group action research designs. Student and teacher journals, observation checklists and notes were analysed using thematic analysis to identify themes related to student engagement. T-tests were computed to determine whether students perceived that engagement changed over their exposure to the intervention. Students’ ability to solve mathematics problems was investigated via t-tests to determine whether their pre- and post-intervention achievement scores differed significantly, as well as qualitative analysis of their solutions to mathematics problems in the respective units. There was observable evidence of improvement in engagement, in learning, and problem-solving ability at the three sites. The findings across research sites suggested that students responded favourably to the integration of manipulatives into instruction. Reflections on these findings suggest that though they are specific to the three schools, they are consistent with research outcomes in research literature and support the integration of manipulatives into mathematics instruction to improve student engagement in learning and mathematics problem solving.