A structural equation model of preschool teacher candidates’ self-efficacy beliefs for music teaching: The role of academic and preschool teaching self-efficacy

This study sought to explore the interrelationships between preschool teacher candidates’ self-efficacy in music teaching, their academic self-efficacy and their self-efficacy in preschool teaching. A review of the relevant literature was conducted, and Structural Equation Modeling was used to examine the relationships between variables. The study sample comprised 425 preschool teacher candidates. The findings indicated that academic self-efficacy significantly and positively predicted both preschool teaching self-efficacy and music teaching self-efficacy. Additionally, preschool teaching self-efficacy emerged as a significant positive predictor of music teaching self-efficacy. Notably, preschool teaching self-efficacy was identified as the strongest predictor of music teaching self-efficacy. Furthermore, preschool teaching self-efficacy was found to mediate the relationship between academic self-efficacy and music teaching self-efficacy. Theoretical implications suggest that the music teaching self-efficacy beliefs of preschool teacher candidates, who are also responsible for providing music education, are positively related to their academic self-efficacy and preschool teaching self-efficacy. However, further research is needed that addresses other variables with the potential to predict music teaching self-efficacy.