Teacher Self-Efficacy, Instructional Practices, and School-Based Feeding Program as Predictors of Perceived Children Engagement Behaviors of Learners during Classroom Shared Reading Activities

Abstract

This study examined teacher self-efficacy, instructional practices, and the school-based feeding program as predictors of perceived children’s engagement behaviours during classroom shared reading activities. A predictive quantitative research design was employed among 152 regular Department of Education early childhood teachers from 17 public elementary schools in the Magsaysay District, Division of Davao del Sur. Data were collected using adapted questionnaires measuring teacher self-efficacy, instructional practices, school-based feeding program implementation, and children’s engagement behaviours. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression were used for analysis. Teacher self-efficacy showed a low positive but non-significant relationship with children’s engagement behaviours (r = .181, p = .110). Instructional practices showed a moderately low positive and significant relationship (r = .491, p < .05), whereas the school-based feeding program showed a moderately high positive and significant relationship (r = .694, p < .05). The regression model explained 49.9% of the variance in perceived children’s engagement behaviours. When the predictors were considered simultaneously, only the school-based feeding program was statistically significant (B = .744, β = .609, p < .001), while teacher self-efficacy and instructional practices were not significant predictors. The findings indicate that perceived learner engagement during shared reading was most strongly associated with school-based feeding program implementation within the study setting, while the other teacher-related variables showed more limited predictive contributions in the model.