Editorial

Abstract

on development of self-ef fi cacy among pre-service teachers over the fi nal months of their initial teacher education programmes. Kang Ma, Anne McMaugh and Michael Cavanagh report on their longitudinal study of the changes in self-ef fi cacy for teaching reported by 201 pre-service teachers in the fi nal 2 years of preparation. Data were collected at three time points (after the initial professional placement, before the fi nal placement and again after completion of the fi nal professional placement), and multilevel models were applied to analyse changes in self-ef fi cacy over time. Scores in the domains of classroom management and student engagement decreased in between students completing their fi rst placement and before beginning their fi nal placement. Students reported a consistently higher level of self-ef fi cacy in instructional strategies over the same period (between placements). Scores increased in all three domains of self-ef fi cacy over the course of the fi nal placement, highlighting the importance of these experiences in assisting pre-service teachers feel prepared for their new career and its challenges. student attitudes towards and perceptions of tests. Over 200 secondary students (Years 7 and 9) were surveyed about their experiences participating in the National Assessment Program (Literacy and Numeracy) (NAPLAN) assessments and internal school tests in mathematics and English. Students placed more value on doing well in internal tests than doing well in NAPLAN, had higher ex-pectations of doing well in internal tests than in NAPLAN, and reported putting in more effort for internal tests of both English and mathematics. Fewer students reported feeling nervous or stressed before NAPLAN than for internal tests, but more students reported feeling bored in response to NAPLAN than for their school tests. While most students reported low levels of negative emotional responses to NAPLAN, a small group of students reported strong negative emotional responses to both NAPLAN and internal school tests, suggesting that negative responses to national testing programmes may be dependent on the individual student.