Candidate Name: Anastasia Carlson Proctor
Program: Curriculum and Instruction​​​​​​​
Committee Chair: Dr. Erik Byker​​​​​​​
Committee Members: Dr. Meghan Barnes, Dr. Adriana Medina, Dr. Spencer Salas
Abstract:

This mixed-methods comparative case study examines how Dual Language Immersion (DLI) and traditional-track educators in North Carolina construct teacher self-efficacy (TSE) amid volatile ecological contexts. Integrating Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory and Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological Systems Theory, the 12-week study utilizes the Process-Person-Context-Time model to map Bioecological Friction, the misalignment between professional agency and systemic structures. Four elementary educators participated, completing four interview waves and six biweekly self-efficacy surveys. A researcher-constructed event log of 100 chronopolitical events provided triangulation. Findings reveal that program track membership accounted for over 81% of the between-subjects variance in confidence scores. Collegial collaboration functioned as a compensatory efficacy scaffold when individual mastery faltered. External policy pressures severely degraded the DLI educator's confidence while traditional-track scores remained flat. Culturally responsive teaching self-efficacy showed a significant linear decline (p = .048), proving highly vulnerable to the 2026 legislative climate. The study also identified "Generational Shift," documenting shared observations of post-pandemic student behavioral changes.