Towards a Unified Model on Teachers' Concerns and Efficacy Beliefs Related to a Mathematics Reform

Teachers' concerns and efficacy beliefs (EB) are important for the success of any reform. Previous research has shown that teachers? concerns develop in three levels: self, task and impact, respectively. Thus, this study examines the concerns and EB of primary teachers with respect to a reform concerning the use of Schema Theory in teaching problem solving (PS). A proposed model connecting teachers' EB and concerns is also tested. Analysis of data suggests that teachers? concerns were situated in the first level; teachers seemed to feel more efficacious in teaching PS without using the reform. Teachers' concerns were affected by their EB, which in turn, were affected by first-level concerns. Concerns of succeeding levels were also influenced by concerns of preceding levels. Implications of findings for the development of the reform policy and for further research are drawn. [For complete proceedings, see ED489632.]