Exploring the Impact of TeachME™ Lab Virtual Classroom Teaching Simulation on Early Childhood Education Majors’ Self-Efficacy Beliefs

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of a mixed-reality teaching environment, called TeachME™ Lab (TML), on early childhood education majors’ science teaching self-efficacy beliefs. Sixty-two preservice early childhood teachers participated in the study. Analysis of the quantitative (STEBI-b) and qualitative (journal entries) data revealed that personal science teaching efficacy and science teaching outcome expectancy beliefs increased significantly after one semester of participation in TML. Three key factors impacted preservice teachers’ (PST) self-efficacy beliefs in the context of participation in TML: PSTs’ perceptions of their science content knowledge, their familiarity with TML technology and avatars, and being observed by peers. Cognitive pedagogical mastery (TML practices), effective/actual modeling, cognitive self-modeling, and emotional arousal were the primary sources that increased the PSTs’ perceived self-efficacy beliefs. Overall, the results of this study suggest that the TML is a worthwhile technology for learning to teach in teacher education. It provides a way for PSTs to have a highly personalized learning experience that enables them to improve their understanding and confidence related to teaching science, so that ideally someday they may translate such an experience into their classroom practices.

Keywords:

• Self-efficacy
• Virtual classrooms
• Early childhood science education
• Science methods course
• Sources of self-efficacy
• Rasch outcome measures

Notes

1 Unless it is specifically stated as personal efficacy or outcome expectancy, the term “self-efficacy” is used to refer to one’s both personal efficacy and outcome expectancy beliefs together in this study.

2 More information about the TeachME™ lab can be found at the University of Central Florida’s website: http://srealserver.eecs.ucf.edu/teachlive/.

3 The duration of the TML sessions was determined based on participants’ daily schedules, the availability of the TML interactors, and the total number of participants. Since the PSTs were in cohorts and have schedules determined by the early childhood education program, the researchers easily identified the days in which the PSTs had the most available time. To eliminate the any possible interactor effect on the TML performances, we reserved the same interactor who was available for 7 h, including a 15-min lunch break. Finally, we calculated the average time per participant (5–7 min).

4 The original STEBI-b consisted of a five-step Likert scale which included a middle category of “Undecided”. In the current study, we forced participants to express a definite opinion one way or another to better detect overall change, if any, in their self-efficacy beliefs over the semester. Detailed reliability information is provided in the “Data Analysis” section.