Mathematics Teaching Efficacy: Differences in Beliefs of Preservice and In-Service Teachers

Abstract

. This research aimed to obtain a comprehensive picture of the teaching efficacy beliefs of student-teacher candidates (preservice teachers) and mathematics teachers (in-service teachers) and identify the factors that can cause the formation of such beliefs. The participants involved in the study were from two groups. The first group was the math teacher candidates who attended a mathematics teacher education program at a private university; the second group was the same program alumni working as math teachers in secondary schools. This research was mixed-method research that combines quantitative through online questionnaires and qualitative methods through interviews. The instruments used in the study consists of the Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instruments (MTEBI) and interview guidelines. The data were analyzed with descriptive statistics and t-test, whereas the interview data were analyzed with the Miles and Huberman technique. The results showed that the mathematics teaching efficacy beliefs of the preservice and inservice teachers are majorly firm or high in level, with no significant difference between groups. The key factors affecting the formation of such teaching efficacy beliefs are the teacher’s mastery of content knowledge during the teacher preparation program and teaching experience. The study results show no significant differences between the teaching efficacy beliefs between the mathematics teacher candidates and those already experienced in teaching. It is also revealed that the in-service teachers’ teaching efficacy beliefs are already formed during their years in the teacher preparation program and only improve moderately after years of experience in teaching. However, the results are still in line with what Bray-Clark and Bates suggest that self-efficacy motivates the prospective and practicing math teachers’ to improve their teaching skills in the future.