Pre-service teacher self-efficacy and teacher efficacy in a challenged education context

Abstract

Given the significant gaps in quantitative teacher resilience knowledge, specifically pre-service teachers, in a challenged context the need for an evidence-based theoretical framework for teacher resilience in spaces of high challenge is evident. Thus, the purpose of this comparative secondary analysis study was to inform knowledge on teacher resilience in challenged contexts. Intrapersonal resilience-enabling pathways (i.e., self-efficacy and teacher efficacy) of pre-service teachers were compared by employing the Social Cognitive Theory as theoretical framework. I adopted a post-positivist, quantitative research approach with a comparative case study design to compare pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy and teacher efficacy beliefs as intrapersonal resilience-enabling pathways to teacher resilience. The study purposively selected extant data from the FIRE project (2015–2017). The FIRE Project included pre-service teachers (N = 1,193) in their final teacher training year at the University of Pretoria. The extant data (completed FIRE Teacher Resilience Measure) was analysed to quantitatively compare the self-efficacy and teacher efficacy beliefs of pre-service teachers within a challenged context. A further objective was to analyse the self-efficacy and teacher efficacy beliefs of pre-service teachers based on demographic information. Finally, statistical procedures were performed on data to compare the relationship between self-efficacy and teacher efficacy beliefs among pre-service teachers in a challenged context. Data was analysed using SPSS by establishing reliability, validity, and statistical computing power, descriptive and inferential statistics. The within-case and cross-case results indicated the presence of high intrapersonal resilience-enabling pathways in pre-service teachers despite contextual constraints, with a statistically significant relationship between the self-efficacy and teacher efficacy of final year pre-service teachers. Varied results were obtained for gender and enrolled pre-service teaching programmes. This study advanced knowledge on teacher resilience in a challenged context. Self-efficacy and teacher efficacy may enable pre-service teachers to resile despite chronic and cumulative risk factors. This study (i) contributed quality, quantitatively derived teacher resilience findings from an often-under-represented Global South perspective; (ii) validated the use of a globally used teacher resilience measure in South Africa; and (iii) culminated in results that may be compared to that of others worldwide measured with the same instrument.