Academic Self-Efficacy of Black, White, and Hispanic Students Pursuing Professional Education Degrees and Licensure at an HBCU in Midwest Ohio

The purpose of this comparative quantitative study was to determine, using three self-efficacy scales, General Self-Efficacy (GSE), Academic Self-Efficacy (ASE), and Educational Self-Efficacy (ESE), the differences in academic and educational self-efficacy among Black, White, and Hispanic students seeking a Professional Education degree and licensure at a Historically Black College and University in Midwest Ohio. Pre-service students’ self-efficacy and goal commitment can affect their likelihood of graduating with a license and may directly affect the number of novice teachers of color in the classroom. The literature examines factors that disrupt students’ self-efficacy, academic confidence, and persistence through the theoretical frameworks of Bandura’s Theory of Student Self-Efficacy, Tinto’s Theory of Student Dropout, and the Relationship to College Readiness. Data was collected using an online survey from a sample of 321 undergraduate students enrolled in Professional Education degree programs at an HBCU. The analysis revealed statistically significant differences across multiple student-reported measures for GSE, ASE, and ESE by race/ethnicity; ESE by instructional delivery mode; GSE by gender; ASE by first-generation status; and ASE by student classification. The findings from the study underscore the urgent need for HBCUs, particularly in Midwest Ohio, and for the Educator Preparation Program (EPP) to establish better systems of support to improve students’ confidence, which influences self-efficacy, especially for minority students, as they pursue Professional Education degrees and licensure.