EXPLORING DIFFERENCES AMONG MENTORS’ AND MENTEES’ SELF-EFFICACY BELIEFS AT PRIMARY LEVEL EDUCATION IN CHINA
Keywords:
China, mentees, mentors, self-efficacy, teacher education
Abstract
This study is conducted to explore the differences among the self-efficacy beliefs of mentees (primary student teachers) with their mentors (in-service primary teachers) and the self-efficacy of teachers concerning their experience. Ninety participants (forty-five mentors and forty-five mentees) were selected randomly from a city in the northeast province of China. Five mentors from each of the nine schools were selected where mentees (student teachers) went for practicum during pre-service training. The mentees were surveyed after the completion of their practicum period. The descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale (long form) was used as a research instrument. There was no significant difference between the participants on the basis of experience. Further, there was no significant difference between the self-efficacy of mentors and mentees regarding sub-factors of self-efficacy; instructional strategies (IS), students’ engagement (SE) and classroom management (CM).References
Anderson, R., Greene, M., & Loewen, P. (1988). Relationships among
teachers’ and students’ thinking skills sense of efficacy, and
student achievement. Alberta Journal of Educational Research, 34(2), 148-165.
Ashton, P. T. (1985). Motivation and the teacher’s sense of efficacy. In C.
Ames & R. Ames (Eds.), Research on motivation in education,
Vol. 2 (pp. 141-171). Orlando, FL: Academic Press.
Azar, A. (2010). In-service and pre-service secondary science teachers’
self-efficacy beliefs about science teaching. Educational
Research and Reviews, 5(4), 175-188.
Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social
cognitive theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ, US: Prentice-Hall, Inc.
Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York: W.H. Freeman.
Camadan, F. (2012). Determining primary school teachers’ and primary
school pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs towards
integrated education and IEP preparation. Electronic Journal of
Social Sciences, 11(39), 128-138.
Cerit, Y. (2010). Teacher Efficacy Scale: The Study of validity and
Reliability and preservice classroom teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs.
Journal of Theory and Practice in Education, 6(1): 68-85.
Chaco’n, C. T. (2005). Teachers’ perceived efficacy among English as a
foreign language teachers in middle schools in
Venezuela. Teaching and Teacher Education, 21(3), 257-272.
Chan, D. W. (2008). Dimensions of teacher self-efficacy among Chinese
secondary school teachers in Hong Kong. Educational
Psychology, 28(2), 181-194.
Cheung, H. Y. (2008). Teacher efficacy: a comparative study of Hong-
Kong and Shanghai primary in-service teachers. The Australian
Educational Researcher, 35(1), 103-123.
Coladarci, T. (1992). Teachers’ sense of efficacy and commitment to
teaching. The Journal of experimental education, 60(4), 323-337.
De la Torre Cruz, M. J., & Casanova Arias, P. F. (2007). Comparative
analysis of experiences of efficacy in in-service and prospective
teachers. Teaching and Teacher Education, 23(5), 641-652.
Dembo, M. H., & Gibson, S. (1985). Teachers’ sense of efficacy: An
important factor in school improvement. The Elementary School
Journal, 86(2), 173-184.
Fives, H., & Buehl, M. M. (2009). Examining the factor structure of the
teachers’ sense of efficacy scale. The Journal of Experimental
Education, 78(1), 118-134.
Fives, H., Hamman, D., & Olivarez, A. (2007). Does burnout begin with
student-teaching? Analyzing efficacy, burnout, and support
during the student-teaching semester. Teaching and Teacher
Education: An International Journal of Research and Studies, 23(6), 916-934.
Fives, H., & Looney, L. (2009). College Instructors’ Sense of Teaching
and Collective Efficacy. International Journal of Teaching and
Learning in Higher education, 20(2), 182-191.
Ghaith, G., & Yaghi, H. (1997). Relationships among experience, teacher
efficacy, and attitudes toward the implementation of instructional
innovation. Teaching and Teacher Education, 13(4), 451-458.
Gencer, A. S., & Cakiroglu, J. (2007). Turkish preservice science teachers’
efficacy beliefs regarding science teaching and their beliefs about
classroom management. Teaching and Teacher Education, 23(5),
664-675.
Gorrell, J., & Dharmadasa, K. H. (1994). Perceived Efficacy of Pre-
Service and In-Service Sri Lankan Teachers. International
Education, 24(1), 23.
Gorrell, J., & Hwang, Y. S. (1995). A study of self-efficacy beliefs among
pre-service teachers in Korea. Journal of Research and
Development in Education, 28(1), 101-105.
Guo, Y., Piasta, S. B., Justice, L. M., & Kaderavek, J. N. (2010). Relations
among preschool teachers’ self-efficacy, classroom quality, and
children’s language and literacy gains. Teaching and Teacher
Education, 26(4), 1094-1103.
Guskey, T. R. (1987). Context variables that affect measures of teacher
efficacy. Journal of Educational Research, 87(1), 41-47.
Hemmings, B.C. (2015) Strengthening the teaching self-efficacy of early
career academics, Issues in Educational Research, 25(1), 1-17
Hoy, A. W., & Spero, R. B. (2005). Changes in teacher efficacy during the
early years of teaching: A comparison of four measures. Teaching
and teacher education, 21(4), 343-356.
Huang, X. (2005). Reliability and validity of the Chinese version of
teacher efficacy scale (in Chinese). Psychological Development
and Education, 1, 115-118.
Johnston, S. (1992). Images: A way of understanding the practical
knowledge of student teachers. Teaching and teacher
education, 8(2), 123-136.
Karimvand, P. N. (2011). The Nexus between Iranian EFL Teachers’ selfefficacy,
Teaching Experience and Gender. English Language
and Teaching, 4(3), 171-183.
Klassen, R. M., Bong, M., Usher, E. L., Chong, W. H., Huan, V. S., Wong,
I. Y., & Georgiou, T. (2009). Exploring the validity of a teachers’
self-efficacy scale in five countries. Contemporary Educational
Psychology, 34(1), 67-76.
Kotaman, H. (2010). Turkish early childhood educators’ sense of teacher
efficacy. Electronic Journal of Research in Educational
Psychology, 8(2), 603-616.
Liu, C. J., Jack, B. M., & Chiu, H. L. (2008). Taiwan elementary teachers’
views of science teaching self-efficacy and outcome
expectations. International Journal of Science and Mathematics
Education, 6(1), 19-35.
Lin, H.L., Gorrell, J. & Taylor, J. (2002). Influence of culture and
education on U.S. and Taiwan pre-service teachers’ efficacy
beliefs. The Journal of Educational Research, 96(1), 37-46.
Lin, S. S. J. & Tsai, C. (1999). Teaching efficacy along the development of
teaching expertise among science and math teachers in Taiwan.
Taiwan. (ERIC Document Reproduction in Service NO. ED 445 905).
Manzar-Abbas, S.S., & Lu, L. (2015). Self-efficacy Beliefs of Chinese
Primary School Teachers. Pakistan Journal of Psychological
Research, 30(2), 289-304.
Malinen, O., Savolainen, H., & Xu, J. (2012). Beijing In-Service Teachers’
Self-Efficacy and Attitudes towards Inclusive Education.
Teaching and Teacher Education: An International Journal of
Research and Studies, 28(4), 526-534.
Pan, Y. (2014). Relationships Among Teachers’ Self-Efficacy and
Students’ Motivation, Atmosphere, and Satisfaction in Physical
Education, Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 33, 68-
92. http://dx.doi.org/10.1123/jtpe.2013-0069
Penrose, A., & Perry, A., & Ball, I. (2007). Emotional intelligence and
teacher self-efficacy: The contribution of teacher status and
length of experience. Educational Research, 17(1), 107-125.
Pigge, F., & Marso, R. (1993). Outstanding teachers sense of teacher
efficacy at four stages of career development. Paper presented at
the annual meeting of the Association of Teacher Educators, Los Angeles, CA.
Podell, D. M., & Soodak, L. C. (1993). Teacher efficacy and bias in special
education referrals. The Journal of educational research, 86(4), 247-253.
Romi, S., & Leyser, Y. (2006). Exploring inclusion pre-service training
needs: a study of variables associated with attitudes and selfefficacy
beliefs. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 21(1), 85-105.
Ross, J. A., Cousins, J.B. & Gadalla, T. (1996). Within-teacher predictors
of teacher efficacy. Teaching and Teacher Education, 12(4), 385-400.
Ross, J.A. (1992). Teacher efficacy and the effect of coaching on student
achievement. Canadian Journal of Education, 17(1), 51-65.
Rotter, J. B. (1966). Generalized expectancies for internal versus external
control of reinforcement. Psychological Monographs: General
and applied, 80(1), 1-28.
Sarkhosh, M., & Rezaee, A. A. (2014). How does university teachers’
emotional intelligence relate to their self-efficacy beliefs? Porta
Linguarum, 21, 85-100. Retrieved from http://www.ugr.es/
~portalin/atriculos/PL_numero21/6%20%20Medhi.pdf
Skaalvik, E. M., & Skaalvik, S. (2010). Teacher self-efficacy and teacher
burnout: a study of relations. Teaching and Teacher Education, 26(4), 1059-1069.
Soodak, L. C., & Podell, D. M. (1997). Efficacy and Experience:
Perceptions of Efficacy among Preservice and Practicing
Teachers. Journal of Research and Development in
Education, 30(4), 214-21.
Tschannen-Moran, M., & Hoy, A. W. (2001). Teacher efficacy: Capturing an
elusive construct. Teaching and teacher education, 17(7), 783-805.
Weinstein, C.S. (1988). Preservice teachers’ expectations about their first
year of teaching. Teaching and Teacher Education, 4(1), 31-40.
Wenner, G. (2001). Science and mathematics efficacy beliefs held by
practicing and prospective teachers: a 5-year perspective. Journal
of Science Education and Technology, 10(2), 181-187.
Wertheim, C., & Leyser, Y. (2002). Efficacy beliefs, background variables,
and differentiated instruction of Israeli prospective teachers.
Journal of Educational Research, 96(1), 54–63.
Wolters, C. A., & Daugherty, S. G. (2007). Goal structures and teachers’
sense of efficacy: Their relation and association to teaching
experience and academic level. Journal of Educational
Psychology, 99(1), 181.
Yeung, K. W., & Watkins, D. (2000). Hong Kong student teachers’
personal construction of teaching efficacy. Educational
Psychology, 20(2), 213-235.
Yu, G., Xin, T., & Shen, J. (1995). Teacher’s sense of teaching efficacy:
its structure and influencing factors (Chinese). Xinli Xuebao, 27(2), 159-166.
teachers’ and students’ thinking skills sense of efficacy, and
student achievement. Alberta Journal of Educational Research, 34(2), 148-165.
Ashton, P. T. (1985). Motivation and the teacher’s sense of efficacy. In C.
Ames & R. Ames (Eds.), Research on motivation in education,
Vol. 2 (pp. 141-171). Orlando, FL: Academic Press.
Azar, A. (2010). In-service and pre-service secondary science teachers’
self-efficacy beliefs about science teaching. Educational
Research and Reviews, 5(4), 175-188.
Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social
cognitive theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ, US: Prentice-Hall, Inc.
Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York: W.H. Freeman.
Camadan, F. (2012). Determining primary school teachers’ and primary
school pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs towards
integrated education and IEP preparation. Electronic Journal of
Social Sciences, 11(39), 128-138.
Cerit, Y. (2010). Teacher Efficacy Scale: The Study of validity and
Reliability and preservice classroom teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs.
Journal of Theory and Practice in Education, 6(1): 68-85.
Chaco’n, C. T. (2005). Teachers’ perceived efficacy among English as a
foreign language teachers in middle schools in
Venezuela. Teaching and Teacher Education, 21(3), 257-272.
Chan, D. W. (2008). Dimensions of teacher self-efficacy among Chinese
secondary school teachers in Hong Kong. Educational
Psychology, 28(2), 181-194.
Cheung, H. Y. (2008). Teacher efficacy: a comparative study of Hong-
Kong and Shanghai primary in-service teachers. The Australian
Educational Researcher, 35(1), 103-123.
Coladarci, T. (1992). Teachers’ sense of efficacy and commitment to
teaching. The Journal of experimental education, 60(4), 323-337.
De la Torre Cruz, M. J., & Casanova Arias, P. F. (2007). Comparative
analysis of experiences of efficacy in in-service and prospective
teachers. Teaching and Teacher Education, 23(5), 641-652.
Dembo, M. H., & Gibson, S. (1985). Teachers’ sense of efficacy: An
important factor in school improvement. The Elementary School
Journal, 86(2), 173-184.
Fives, H., & Buehl, M. M. (2009). Examining the factor structure of the
teachers’ sense of efficacy scale. The Journal of Experimental
Education, 78(1), 118-134.
Fives, H., Hamman, D., & Olivarez, A. (2007). Does burnout begin with
student-teaching? Analyzing efficacy, burnout, and support
during the student-teaching semester. Teaching and Teacher
Education: An International Journal of Research and Studies, 23(6), 916-934.
Fives, H., & Looney, L. (2009). College Instructors’ Sense of Teaching
and Collective Efficacy. International Journal of Teaching and
Learning in Higher education, 20(2), 182-191.
Ghaith, G., & Yaghi, H. (1997). Relationships among experience, teacher
efficacy, and attitudes toward the implementation of instructional
innovation. Teaching and Teacher Education, 13(4), 451-458.
Gencer, A. S., & Cakiroglu, J. (2007). Turkish preservice science teachers’
efficacy beliefs regarding science teaching and their beliefs about
classroom management. Teaching and Teacher Education, 23(5),
664-675.
Gorrell, J., & Dharmadasa, K. H. (1994). Perceived Efficacy of Pre-
Service and In-Service Sri Lankan Teachers. International
Education, 24(1), 23.
Gorrell, J., & Hwang, Y. S. (1995). A study of self-efficacy beliefs among
pre-service teachers in Korea. Journal of Research and
Development in Education, 28(1), 101-105.
Guo, Y., Piasta, S. B., Justice, L. M., & Kaderavek, J. N. (2010). Relations
among preschool teachers’ self-efficacy, classroom quality, and
children’s language and literacy gains. Teaching and Teacher
Education, 26(4), 1094-1103.
Guskey, T. R. (1987). Context variables that affect measures of teacher
efficacy. Journal of Educational Research, 87(1), 41-47.
Hemmings, B.C. (2015) Strengthening the teaching self-efficacy of early
career academics, Issues in Educational Research, 25(1), 1-17
Hoy, A. W., & Spero, R. B. (2005). Changes in teacher efficacy during the
early years of teaching: A comparison of four measures. Teaching
and teacher education, 21(4), 343-356.
Huang, X. (2005). Reliability and validity of the Chinese version of
teacher efficacy scale (in Chinese). Psychological Development
and Education, 1, 115-118.
Johnston, S. (1992). Images: A way of understanding the practical
knowledge of student teachers. Teaching and teacher
education, 8(2), 123-136.
Karimvand, P. N. (2011). The Nexus between Iranian EFL Teachers’ selfefficacy,
Teaching Experience and Gender. English Language
and Teaching, 4(3), 171-183.
Klassen, R. M., Bong, M., Usher, E. L., Chong, W. H., Huan, V. S., Wong,
I. Y., & Georgiou, T. (2009). Exploring the validity of a teachers’
self-efficacy scale in five countries. Contemporary Educational
Psychology, 34(1), 67-76.
Kotaman, H. (2010). Turkish early childhood educators’ sense of teacher
efficacy. Electronic Journal of Research in Educational
Psychology, 8(2), 603-616.
Liu, C. J., Jack, B. M., & Chiu, H. L. (2008). Taiwan elementary teachers’
views of science teaching self-efficacy and outcome
expectations. International Journal of Science and Mathematics
Education, 6(1), 19-35.
Lin, H.L., Gorrell, J. & Taylor, J. (2002). Influence of culture and
education on U.S. and Taiwan pre-service teachers’ efficacy
beliefs. The Journal of Educational Research, 96(1), 37-46.
Lin, S. S. J. & Tsai, C. (1999). Teaching efficacy along the development of
teaching expertise among science and math teachers in Taiwan.
Taiwan. (ERIC Document Reproduction in Service NO. ED 445 905).
Manzar-Abbas, S.S., & Lu, L. (2015). Self-efficacy Beliefs of Chinese
Primary School Teachers. Pakistan Journal of Psychological
Research, 30(2), 289-304.
Malinen, O., Savolainen, H., & Xu, J. (2012). Beijing In-Service Teachers’
Self-Efficacy and Attitudes towards Inclusive Education.
Teaching and Teacher Education: An International Journal of
Research and Studies, 28(4), 526-534.
Pan, Y. (2014). Relationships Among Teachers’ Self-Efficacy and
Students’ Motivation, Atmosphere, and Satisfaction in Physical
Education, Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 33, 68-
92. http://dx.doi.org/10.1123/jtpe.2013-0069
Penrose, A., & Perry, A., & Ball, I. (2007). Emotional intelligence and
teacher self-efficacy: The contribution of teacher status and
length of experience. Educational Research, 17(1), 107-125.
Pigge, F., & Marso, R. (1993). Outstanding teachers sense of teacher
efficacy at four stages of career development. Paper presented at
the annual meeting of the Association of Teacher Educators, Los Angeles, CA.
Podell, D. M., & Soodak, L. C. (1993). Teacher efficacy and bias in special
education referrals. The Journal of educational research, 86(4), 247-253.
Romi, S., & Leyser, Y. (2006). Exploring inclusion pre-service training
needs: a study of variables associated with attitudes and selfefficacy
beliefs. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 21(1), 85-105.
Ross, J. A., Cousins, J.B. & Gadalla, T. (1996). Within-teacher predictors
of teacher efficacy. Teaching and Teacher Education, 12(4), 385-400.
Ross, J.A. (1992). Teacher efficacy and the effect of coaching on student
achievement. Canadian Journal of Education, 17(1), 51-65.
Rotter, J. B. (1966). Generalized expectancies for internal versus external
control of reinforcement. Psychological Monographs: General
and applied, 80(1), 1-28.
Sarkhosh, M., & Rezaee, A. A. (2014). How does university teachers’
emotional intelligence relate to their self-efficacy beliefs? Porta
Linguarum, 21, 85-100. Retrieved from http://www.ugr.es/
~portalin/atriculos/PL_numero21/6%20%20Medhi.pdf
Skaalvik, E. M., & Skaalvik, S. (2010). Teacher self-efficacy and teacher
burnout: a study of relations. Teaching and Teacher Education, 26(4), 1059-1069.
Soodak, L. C., & Podell, D. M. (1997). Efficacy and Experience:
Perceptions of Efficacy among Preservice and Practicing
Teachers. Journal of Research and Development in
Education, 30(4), 214-21.
Tschannen-Moran, M., & Hoy, A. W. (2001). Teacher efficacy: Capturing an
elusive construct. Teaching and teacher education, 17(7), 783-805.
Weinstein, C.S. (1988). Preservice teachers’ expectations about their first
year of teaching. Teaching and Teacher Education, 4(1), 31-40.
Wenner, G. (2001). Science and mathematics efficacy beliefs held by
practicing and prospective teachers: a 5-year perspective. Journal
of Science Education and Technology, 10(2), 181-187.
Wertheim, C., & Leyser, Y. (2002). Efficacy beliefs, background variables,
and differentiated instruction of Israeli prospective teachers.
Journal of Educational Research, 96(1), 54–63.
Wolters, C. A., & Daugherty, S. G. (2007). Goal structures and teachers’
sense of efficacy: Their relation and association to teaching
experience and academic level. Journal of Educational
Psychology, 99(1), 181.
Yeung, K. W., & Watkins, D. (2000). Hong Kong student teachers’
personal construction of teaching efficacy. Educational
Psychology, 20(2), 213-235.
Yu, G., Xin, T., & Shen, J. (1995). Teacher’s sense of teaching efficacy:
its structure and influencing factors (Chinese). Xinli Xuebao, 27(2), 159-166.
Published
2018-01-15
Section
Articles
