Mapping the Interrelations between Pre-service Teachers’ Beliefs and Knowledge of Learning to Their Principles of Effective Instruction

This mixed-methods study examined the congruence of pre-service teachers’ perceptions about their beliefs and knowledge of learning to their perceived principles of effective instruction, explicitly linking learning and teaching for students and teachers. Participants were 56 pre-service teachers in the college of education at a mid-sized university in the southeastern US. Three measures were employed in this study: firstly, participants were asked to choose a picture that best represented their views on the relationship between beliefs and knowledge and two open-ended questions asked them to define what beliefs and knowledge are. The second measure consisted of twenty-four items asking about their perceptions of their knowledge and beliefs about learning. Finally, the third measure consisted of an open-ended item asking participants to list and briefly describe their five core principles of effective instruction. Results show that beliefs are relatively dynamic and subject to change. Even over the course of a semester, there was a qualitative shift in pre-service teachers’ perceptions of knowledge of learning and less so in terms of perceptions of beliefs about learning. Surprisingly, there was less change in PSTs’ beliefs about learning, which is important since these beliefs may be much more likely to influence their decision-making as both pre-and in-service teachers.