Sources of pre-service teacher self-efficacy: a longitudinal qualitative inquiry

ABSTRACT

Teacher self-efficacy (TSE) is among the most-studied constructs in teacher education and resists change after the early stages of development, particularly during professional experience. This study investigates the sources of early-career TSE longitudinally, which few previous studies have done. Two phases of one-on-one interviews were completed with pre-service teachers after the first (n = 18) and final (n = 13) professional experience placements across the final two pre-service years. The data were analysed thematically and are reported according to Bandura’s four sources of self-efficacy. Mastery experience was the predominant source across the study, followed by emotional states. Vicarious experience and social persuasion were less reported. Both variations in how each source influenced TSE and interactions between different sources across the study were apparent. Implications and limitations are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Teacher self-efficacy
• professional practice experience
• teacher education
• student teachers

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the Higher Education Funding for Social Science Research at Jiang Province [2022SJYB2047].

Notes on contributors

Kang Ma

Kang Ma, Ph.D., is a lecturer at the School of Education, Yancheng Teachers Unievrsity, Yancheng City, Jiangsu Province, 224002. He is interested in initial teacher education and his current work focuses on teachers’ self-efficacy.

Michael Cavanagh

Michael Cavanagh is a Director of Education and a lecturer in mathematics education in the Macquarie School of Education, Macquarie University, Australia; email: [email protected]. His research focuses on teacher education, especially initial teacher professional development during the teaching professional placement, and mathematics education.

Anne Mcmaugh

AnneMcMaugh is a Senior Lecturer in Educational Psychology in the Macquarie School of Education, Macquarie University, Australia; email: [email protected]. Her research focuses on teacher education and learner development including the development of self-efficacy and cognitive beliefs in teachers and children, using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies.