Transformational Leadership and Teaching Assistants’ Self- Efficacies

Abstract

The overall purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between transformationalleadership behaviors of faculty supervisors and the graduate teaching self-efficacies of graduate teaching assistants.Quantitative data were collected on three surveys including a demographic survey, MLQ form 5x (onlytransformational leadership items), and Graduate Teaching Self-Efficacy Scale (GTSES). The statistical tests carriedout were regression, multiple regression, and logistic regression along with descriptive statistics. Findings showednone of the transformational leadership behaviors (i.e., idealized influence behavior, idealized influence attribute,inspirational motivation, individualized consideration, and intellectual stimulation) of faculty supervisors werestatistically significant predictors of graduate assistant teaching self-efficacies. There was a positive statisticallysignificant relationship between number of years as a TA and teaching self-efficacy [p = .008], Teaching selfefficaciesof the TAs significantly predicted their satisfaction as a TA [(Hosmer & Lemeshow) x2 = 3.762, p = .807].Transformational leadership behaviors of faculty supervisors predicted the satisfaction of TAs graduate teachingassistants [Model x2(1) = 41.03, p < .05].