Date of Award
Spring 2026
Document Type
Open Access Dissertation
Department
Educational Studies
First Advisor
Matthew Irvin
Abstract
Research on inquiry-based learning (IBL) has largely focused on student achievement outcomes, with less attention given to how classroom social dynamics influence students’ motivational beliefs, particularly within rural educational contexts. Rural schools often operate within smaller, close-knit communities where interpersonal relationships may shape students’ academic experiences in distinctive ways. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between instructional practices, belonging, and students’ academic self-efficacy in rural inquiry-based learning environments. Using self-efficacy theory and belonging frameworks, the study investigated whether students’ perceptions of teacher and peer belonging mediated the relationship between instructional practices and perceived academic competence.
Survey data were collected from students in rural schools and analyzed using structural equation modeling to examine both direct and indirect relationships among teacher instructional practices, student learning activities, belonging, and self-efficacy. Results indicated that instructional practices emphasizing reflection, feedback, and opportunities to demonstrate understanding were positively associated with students’ perceptions of competence, while inquiry-based discourse alone was not significantly related to self-efficacy. Peer belonging emerged as a more effective mediating pathway than teacher belonging, suggesting that students’ social experiences with classmates play an influential role in shaping how instructional experiences are understood. In several cases, belonging functioned as a context-dependent mechanism, amplifying or suppressing instructional effects depending on task characteristics.
These findings highlight the importance of considering both instructional design and classroom social environments when examining student motivation in rural schools. The study contributes to research on inquiry-based learning and rural education by demonstrating that students’ academic self-efficacy develops through the interaction of instructional experiences and relational contexts within the classroom.
Rights
© 2026, Jennifer Nichol Harrist
Recommended Citation
Harrist, J. N.(2026). Instructional Practices, Belonging, and Self-Efficacy in Rural Inquiry-Based Classrooms: A Structural Equation Model of Direct and Indirect Effects. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/8755