Investigating Preservice Teachers’ Efficacy Level and Factors Influencing It
Abstract
This study investigated preservice teachers’ efficacy level and factors influencing it. The participants were English Language Teaching students of cohort 2015, Universitas Negeri Malang. The data were taken from 41 preservice teachers by using an online questionnaire and a face-to-face interview. The online questionnaire provided the data about the participants’ efficacy level and factors influencing it. The Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale (Tschannen-Moran & Woolfolk Hoy, 2001) was adapted to measure the participants’ efficacy level. An in-depth interview with six respondents who agreed to participate was conducted to follow-up the questionnaire data. The interview was aimed to get profound data about factors influencing the participants’ efficacy level. The preservice teachers reported that four significant factors influenced their self-efficacy of teaching. They are the participants’ experience in a formal and informal teaching practice, feedback and support from the school environment, observing other teachers’ performance, and English proficiency as factors influencing their efficacy. The average result also shows that the preservice teachers’ efficacy level was 3.31 (5-scale rating for highly effective). The participants perceived that they were highly efficacious in instructional strategies (3.41) and a little efficacious in student engagement (3.16). By knowing their efficacy level, preservice teachers are suggested to start joining teacher professional development (TPD) to develop and maintain their English and teaching skill. In-service teachers are also suggested to join TPD to maintain their skills because preservice teachers look up to them as role models. Preservice teachers should also be given support from in-service teachers and Department of English.
Keywords: preservice teacher, teacher-efficacy, student engagement, instructional strategies
References
[1] Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York: W.H. Freeman.
[2] Berg, D. A. G., & Smith, L. F. (2018). The Effect of School-based Experience on Preservice Teachers’ Self -efficacy Beliefs. Issue in Educational Research, 28(3): 530-544.
[3] Brown, A. L., Lee, J., & Collins, D. (2015). Does student teaching matter? Investigating Pre-service Teacher’ Sensed of Efficacy and Preparedness. Teaching Education, 26(1): 77-93. https://doi.org/10. 1080/10476210.2014.957666
[4] Chacόn, C. T. (2005). Teachers’ Perceived Efficacy among English as a Foreign Language Teachers in The Middle Schools in Venezuela. Teaching and Teacher Education, 21(3): 257-272. https://doi.org/10. 1016/j.tate.2005.01.001
[5] Choi, L., & Lee, J. (2018). EFL Teachers’ Self-efficacy and Teaching Practices. ELT Journal, 72(11): 175-186. https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/ccx046
[6] Garvis, S., Pendergast, D., & Keogh, J. (2012). Changes in Teacher Self-efficacy in the First Year of Primary School Teacher Education., The Journal of the World Universities Forum, 5(1): 87-94. https: //cgnetworks.org/
[7] Guskey, T. R., & Passaro, P. D. (1994). Teacher Efficacy: A Study of Construct Dimensions. American Educational Research Journal, 31(3): 627-643. https://doi.org/10.3102/00028312031003627
[8] Kavanoz, S., Yüksel, H.G., & Özcan, E. (2015). Pre-service Teachers’ Self-Efficacy Perceptions on Web Pedagogical Content Knowledge. Computers & Education, 85: 94-101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. compedu.2015.02.005
[9] Ma, K., & Cavanagh, M. S. (2018). Classroom Ready? Pre-service Teachers’ Self-Efficacy for Their First Professional Experience Placement. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 43(7): 134-151. http://dx. doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2018v43n7.8
[10] Pandergast, D., Garvis, A., & Keogh, J. (2011). Pre-service Student-Teacher Self-Efficacy Beliefs: An Insight into the Making of Teachers. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 36(12): 46-58. https: //doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2011v36n12.6
[11] Tschannen-Moran, M., & Woolfolk Hoy, A. (1998). Teacher Efficacy: Its Meaning & Measure. Review of Educational Research, 68(2): 202-248. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543068002202
[12] Tschannen-Moran, M., & Woolfolk Hoy, A. (2001). Teacher Efficacy: Capturing an Elusive Construct. Teaching and Teacher Education, 17(1): 783-805. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0742-051X(01)00036-1
[13] Wulyani, A. N. (2017). Professional Development of English Language Teachers in Malang, Indonesia: Institutional and Individual Perspectives. Unpublished Doctoral thesis: School of Linguistics and Applied Language Studies Victoria University of Wellington