An Investigation of Pre-Service EFL Teachers’ Self-Efficacy Beliefs

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate pre-service English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs. The study was a descriptive study based on a single screening model. A total of 291 freshman, sophomore, junior and senior students studying at a state university in Turkey during the fall semester of the academic year 2018-2019 participated in the study. Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) which was originally developed by Tschannen-Moran & Woolfolk Hoy (2001) and adapted into Turkish by Çapa, Çakıroğlu, and Sarıkaya (2005) was used to determine pre-service EFL teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs. Pre-service EFL teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs were analyzed by descriptive statistics.  Differences in participants’ self-efficacy perceptions by class level were analyzed by one-way ANOVA. The Tukey multiple comparison test was used to determine significant differences among the different class levels. Research results revealed that pre-service EFL teachers had relatively high-level teacher self-efficacy perceptions in general and for classroom management, student engagement and instructional strategies subscales. Also, it was found that juniors had significantly higher scores than sophomores in both total scale and student engagement subscale. Total and subscale scores at other class levels did not differ significantly.  It was suggested that pre-service EFL teachers’ self-efficacy perceptions should be considered with greater attention in the ELT program at the university and special efforts are required to strengthen seniors’ self-efficacy perceptions.