The effect of school-based experience on preservice teachers' self-efficacy beliefs

David A. G. Berg and Lisa F. Smith
University of Otago, New Zealand

This research examined preservice teachers' self-efficacy beliefs immediately prior to and after the final practicum for an undergraduate three-year primary education teaching program. The primary purpose of the study was to explore the effect of the capstone practicum experience on the students' teacher self-efficacy beliefs. A secondary objective was to compare the utility of two established measures of teacher self-efficacy. A cohort of preservice teachers from New Zealand (N = 75) completed the Teachers' Sense of Efficacy (long form) (Tschannen-Moran & Woolfolk Hoy, 2001) and the English version of the Norwegian Teacher Self Efficacy Scale (Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2007), before and after their final practicum placements. Results indicated that the participants' self-efficacy beliefs increased from pre to post. Further, the NTSES and the TSES were both found to be useful measures for assessing preservice teachers' self-efficacy beliefs, with the NTSES providing more differentiated evaluation. These results are discussed in the context of how capstone practicum experiences can enhance preservice teachers' teacher self-efficacy beliefs.
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Authors: David A. G. Berg EdD is a senior lecturer in education at the University of Otago, New Zealand. His research interests include teacher self-efficacy beliefs, pre-service teachers' concerns about teaching, formative assessment, initial teacher education, study skills, and the work of teacher educators. David was the 2016 recipient of the Teacher Education Forum of Aotearoa New Zealand's Emerging Teacher Educator award. Email: david.berg@otago.ac.nz Web: https://www.otago.ac.nz/education/staff/davidberg.html Lisa F. Smith EdD is Professor of Education, University of Otago, New Zealand. She conducts research on standardised and classroom testing, preservice teacher efficacy, and the psychology of aesthetics. She serves on the editorial boards of several peer-review journals, co-founded an American Psychological Association journal, Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, and is a Fellow of APA and of the International Association of Empirical Aesthetics. She has received two lifetime career awards for her research from IAEA and APA. Email: lisa.smith@otago.ac.nz Web: https://www.otago.ac.nz/education/staff/lisasmith.html Please cite as: Berg, D. A. G. & Smith, L. F. (2018). The effect of school-based experience on preservice teachers' self-efficacy beliefs. Issues in Educational Research, 28(3), 530-544. http://www.iier.org.au/iier28/berg.pdf