THEY ARE TRAINED TO TEACH, BUT HOW CONFIDENT ARE THEY? A STUDY OF STUDENT TEACHERS’ SENSE OF EFFICACY

Abstract

The objective of the study was to assess student teachers' efficacy in one of the teacher training institutions in Malaysia, with specific reference to the aspects of student engagement, instructional strategies and classroom management. The sample size was 675 final-year teacher education students. The findings suggest that a majority of the respondents had a high level of teaching efficacy (M = 3.98; SD = 0.36). They were also highly efficacious in student engagement (M = 4.01; SD = 0. 41), instructional strategies (M = 4.01; SD = 0. 39) and classroom management (M = 4.00; SD = 0.45). A significant correlation was found between teaching efficacy and academic achievement C (r = 0.15, p<0.05). The study also revealed that teaching efficacy differed as a function of gender (t = 6.47, p<0.05), career choice (t = 6.04, p<0.05), educational aspiration (t = 2.02, p<0.05) and content major (F 3,668 = 9.86, p<0.05).

Teaching efficacy beliefs of Ghanaian basic school teachers and their subject specializations

“…In this research, Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) was used to measure preservice teachers' teacher efficacy beliefs. This scale was developed by Tschannen-Moran and Woolfolk-Hoy (2001) and has been adopted by many researchers to assess teacher's sense of efficacy (Cobbold & Boateng, 2015;Bekoe, et al 2015;Bakar, et. al, 2012).…”

“…However, the present study, like others (e.g. Bakar et al 2012;Poulou, 2007;Atay,2007), used a five-point Likert scale of TSES. The original TSES scale asks the respondents ''How much'' but the present study like Bakar et al (2012) asked respondents ''How confident'' since teacher efficacy is a measure of the confidence one has to perform the tasks given to him or her.…”

“…Bakar et al 2012;Poulou, 2007;Atay,2007), used a five-point Likert scale of TSES. The original TSES scale asks the respondents ''How much'' but the present study like Bakar et al (2012) asked respondents ''How confident'' since teacher efficacy is a measure of the confidence one has to perform the tasks given to him or her. For example, we asked the respondents ''how confident are you to: get through to the most difficult students'', ''use a variety of assessment strategies'' and ''control disruptive behaviour in the classroom''.…”

“…We know much about the instructional practices that enhance student learning, but the core of teaching relates not just to the instructional environment of the classroom but also to the socio-emotional climate that teachers create (Babad, 2009). High-quality teaching is not only based on what teachers know but also what teachers do (Bakar, Mohammed & Zakaria, 2012) and the confidence with which they deliver what they know in the classroom. It has been observed that quality teachers are those who are able to deliver lessons with great confidence, resulting in positive learning.…”

“…Exploring teacher self-efficacy among pre-service teachers is important, particularly where pre-service teachers undergo an 'apprenticeship of learning' (Pendagast, Garvis & Keogh, 2011). Most of the studies that examine in-service teachers' efficacy beliefs have been conducted in Western cultural contexts (Bakar et al 2012;Poulou, 2007). Though a few studies have surveyed Ghanaian preservice teachers' self-efficacy beliefs, the focus has been on early childhood preservice teachers' self-efficacy (Abroampa, Rotimi & Asante, 2017) and the self-efficacy beliefs of preservice teachers in colleges of education (Bekoe, Kankam, Ayaaba, Eshun & Bodorh, 2015).…”