Self-Efficacy as a Predictor of Inquiry-Based Pedagogy and Digital Competence among STEM Faculty in a Philippine Regional University
Abstract
This study investigated the predictive relationships between teacher self-efficacy, inquiry-based pedagogy (IBP) implementation, and digital competence among STEM faculty at North Eastern Mindanao State University (NEMSU). Utilizing a quantitative descriptive-comparative and predictive research design, data were collected from 100 STEM educators across seven constituent campuses. Analysis involved Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) to purify research constructs and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to determine the extent of influence between variables. The results revealed that while faculty report a high baseline of instructional self-efficacy (M=3.486), a measurable "theory-practice gap" exists, characterized by significantly lower confidence in facilitating complex hands-on engineering prototypes and open-ended scientific investigations. Furthermore, a significant "innovation dip" was observed among faculty in the 7–9-year experience bracket, suggesting that instructional routines become fixed without targeted mid-career intervention. The structural model confirmed that self-efficacy is a potent engine for pedagogical change, explaining a substantial 30.4%of the variance in inquiry-oriented facilitation (β=0.552, p<0.001). Conversely, its predictive power over digital mastery was notably constrained (10.2%), identifying a "pedagogical-digital dissonance" where high internal confidence is bottlenecked by external infrastructural barriers. The study concludes with the Integrated STEM Teacher Competency Framework, advocating for a synchronized dual-pathway strategy. This approach recommends pairing psychological empowerment through career-stage-specific coaching and reverse-mentoring with urgent structural digital upgrades to ensure pedagogical willingness is matched by technological opportunity. These findings provide institutional leaders with an empirical roadmap to sustain instructional excellence and bridge the divide between theoretical confidence and practical mastery in regional state universities.
Keywords: STEM Education, Teacher Self-Efficacy, Inquiry-Based Pedagogy, Digital Competence, PLS-SEM, Tertiary Education, Philippines.
Instructional Leadership Practices of Master Teachers as Basis for the Development of an Instructional Mentoring Program
Abstract
This study examined the instructional leadership practices of Master Teachers and used the integrated findings as the basis for developing a context-responsive instructional mentoring program for island school contexts. The study employed a sequential exploratory mixed-methods design. The qualitative phase used phenomenological interviews with Master Teachers to identify mentoring practices, instructional leadership dimensions, and contextual constraints. The quantitative phase validated the emergent dimensions through a survey of 135 teachers from a target population of 160, yielding an 84.38% response rate. Qualitative results showed that Master Teachers enacted instructional leadership through mentoring, coaching, modeling, instructional supervision, professional dialogue, Learning Action Cell facilitation, data-informed support, and contextualized instructional assistance. Quantitative results showed a high overall level of instructional leadership practices (M = 3.51, SD = 0.61), very high perceived instructional support (M = 3.50, SD = 0.67), and very high mentoring needs and priorities (M = 3.56, SD = 0.63). Significant differences were found in perceived instructional leadership practices by teaching experience, teaching position, and mentoring frequency, while mentoring needs differed significantly by school level. Integrated findings supported the development of a structured instructional mentoring program consisting of needs assessment, goal setting, coaching and modeling, observation, feedback and reflective dialogue, professional learning facilitation, differentiated mentoring tracks, contextualized instructional support, action planning, monitoring, and program evaluation.
Keywords: Instructional Leadership, Master Teachers, Mentoring Program, Instructional Coaching, Teacher Professional Development, Mixed Methods, Island Schools
