Hercz Maria

Dr. Hercz Maria

orcid
ass. professor; lecturer; supervisor for doctoral schools

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

25Years (2002-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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23 September 2024 in Acta Psychologica
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
Girum Tareke ZewudeGirum Tareke Zewude
Girum Tareke Zewude
YMYikunoamlak Mesfin
Yikunoamlak Mesfin
Fatiha SadoukiFatiha Sadouki
Fatiha Sadouki
AAAbate Getahun Ayele
Abate Getahun Ayele
SGSolomon Goraw
Solomon Goraw
Hercz MariaHercz Maria
Hercz Maria
This study aimed to explore the relationship among the Big Five personality traits, emotional intelligence (EIQ), psychological capital (PsyCap), and teacher well-being (TPWB) within the context of higher education. The objective was to predict TPWB in university teachers by utilizing the Big Five personality traits and PsyCap while considering EI as a mediator. Data were collected from 708 teachers in Ethiopian higher education institutions. Participants completed the Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS-16), Big Five Personality Inventory (BFI-10), Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ-12), and Teacher Professional Well-Being Scale (TPWBS). The analysis included reliability tests, correlation analysis, validity assessment, measurement invariance, and serial mediation testing. The findings unveil a significant direct positive effect of Big Five personality traits on EIQ, PsyCap, and TPWB. Furthermore, PsyCap demonstrates a direct positive effect on TPWB. PsyCap fully mediates the relationship between the Big Five personality traits, EIQ, and TPWB, while EIQ partially mediates the relationships between the Big Five personality traits and PsyCap/TPWB, accentuating a serial mediation effect. Moreover, the personality trait of openness to experience positively predicts EIQ, PsyCap, and TPWB. Conscientiousness and agreeableness also positively predict EIQ, while extraversion directly influences PsyCap in a positive manner. However, neuroticism exerts a negative direct impact on EIQ, PsyCap, and TPWB. Additionally, emotional intelligence partially mediates the relationship between the five dimensions of the Big Five personality (openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism) and TPWB. In conclusion, PsyCap fully mediates the relationship between the Big Five personality traits, EIQ, and TPWB, while EIQ partially mediates the relationships between the Big Five personality traits and PsyCap/TPWB. These findings hold significant implications for enhancing well-being among teachers.
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15 July 2021 in European Journal of Educational Research
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
Girum Tareke ZewudeGirum Tareke Zewude
Girum Tareke Zewude
Hercz MariaHercz Maria
Hercz Maria
This study aimed to investigate the mediation role of coping with stress between psychological capital and teacher well-being based on positive psychology, conservation resource, and broaden-and-build theories. Participants in this study were 836 teachers from three clustered, ethnically diverse public universities. Our findings showed that, in line with previous studies, the psychological capital (PsyCap), coping with stress (CWS), and teacher well-being (TWB) dimensions showed the best fit in our data. PsyCap was related positively to TWB (total and dimensions), CWS, coping through withdrawal, and negative coping with acceptance and change. The indirect effect of PsyCap on TWB through coping with stress was fully mediated. PsyCap also positively and directly affected TWB and CWS. Coping through acceptance and change were fully mediated by PsyCap and TWB dimensions, while coping through withdrawal was not. PsyCap directly and positively affected coping with stress (acceptance and change) and negatively affected coping through withdrawal. Future theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
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Girum Tareke ZewudeGirum Tareke Zewude
Girum Tareke Zewude
SBSisay Beyene
Sisay Beyene
BTBelayneh Taye
Belayneh Taye
Fatiha SadoukiFatiha Sadouki
Fatiha Sadouki
Hercz MariaHercz Maria
Hercz Maria
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted many professions with short-, medium-, and long-term consequences. Hence, this study examined the mediating role of sense of coherence (SOC) and resilience in the relation to COVID-19 stress and teachers’ well-being (TWB). It recruited 836 teachers from Ethiopia’s higher-education institutions, of which 630 (75.4%) were men and 206 (24.6%) were women, with a mean age of 32.81 years and a standard deviation of 6.42. Findings showed that COVID-19 stress negatively predicted SOC, resilience, and TWB and that SOC and resilience positively predicted TWB. It was concluded that SOC and resilience, both together and separately, mediated the relation between COVID-19 stress and TWB. These results were discussed alongside relevant literature, and the study is found to be valuable for practitioners and researchers who seek to improve well-being using SOC and resilience as resources across teaching professions.
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1 December 2020 in Discourse and Communication for Sustainable Education
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
Hercz MariaHercz Maria
Hercz Maria
FPFerenc Pozsonyi
Ferenc Pozsonyi
NFNikolett Flick-Takács
Nikolett Flick-Takács
The education of children in the Age of Knowledge is a challenge for educators all over the world since it is questionable how we can educate learners to become responsible citizens in different areas. Finding a suitable methodology is a highlighted goal of present-day educational researches. The intention of our work is to contribute to this dispute with a research investigating the challenge-based-learning-adapting European UKids programme designed for eight-to-eleven-year-old learners. This intention aims to support their education for sustainability and to develop social entrepreneurship and life-long learning. The program is a professional collaboration among university teachers, primary school teacher candidates and learners, thus the research manages this triplet as a complex entity. The scientific paradigm and structure of present paper is rather nonconventional since, instead of presenting an empiric research, it interprets some peculiarities of many research units with the help of mixed methodology. Four research phases had been distinguished, the first three of these applied quantitative research methods. Results suggest that the learners are somewhat satisfied with their schooling and learning circumstances. Although they prefer constructive learning strategies, teacher-directed methods are still more popular among the responses which means that the non-traditional work forms are rather unfamiliar to them. The programme affected their skills and competences in a positive way. An age-specific (socio) psychological dichotomy was detected; however, the framework of the UKids programme was able to handle it. Both challenge-based learning and the UKids programme turned out to be suitable for educating and developing children in a complex way, and they are able to trigger innovation in teacher-training.

4 May 2022 in Journal of Psychology in Africa
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
Girum Tareke ZewudeGirum Tareke Zewude
Girum Tareke Zewude
Hercz MariaHercz Maria
Hercz Maria
The present study aimed to adapt and validate the Teacher Well-Being Scale (TWBS), in an Ethiopian education setting. To test the reliability and validity of the scale, an Amharic version of the TWBS was developed and administered to a sample of university instructors (n = 1 117). The results showed excellent reliability, acceptable convergent and divergent validity, very good discriminant, and factorial validity with the bi-factor model of TWBS. Furthermore, measurement invariance analyses revealed that the factor structure of the TWBS stayed consistent across sex (men, women), university types (research, applied, and general university), age, and experience in teaching. The TWBS may be valid for use in the Ethiopian higher education setting.

12 February 2023 in Educational Management Administration & Leadership
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
Peter Ochieng OkiriPeter Ochieng Okiri
Peter Ochieng Okiri
Hercz MariaHercz Maria
Hercz Maria
The concept of distributed pedagogical leadership (DPL) practice in education is advanced as an acceptable element in enhancing the quality of pedagogical improvement and the academic achievement of learners across educational contexts. This concept is conceived as a leadership style, where stakeholders are formally and informally involved in the leadership process. The interdependence of stakeholders in the enactment of this concept is underpinned by the five dimensions of DPL, namely: enhancing shared consciousness of visions, and strategies between stakeholders; distributing responsibilities for pedagogical leadership; distributing and clarifying power relationship between the stakeholders; distributing the enactment of pedagogical improvement within centers; and developing a strategy for DPL. This study employed a systematic literature review that mapped relevant literature to the topic. The database of sources consists of 10 articles on DPL published in the English language and in high-ranking journals between January 2010 and December 2021. The review highlights empirical and theoretical-conceptual contributions to the literature on DPL including the methodologies used in the studies. The study extensively expounds on the underpinning theoretical and conceptual frameworks to elucidate this concept. The result implies the need to promote the culture of DPL in all learning levels and spheres of education.
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