Early support to address concerns and encourage self-efficacy in pre-service teacher candidates.

摘要

The transition into teaching is a process that takes time and often requires shifts in thinking to reach the maximum level of impact. Could support in the form of one-on-one mentor conferences, supplemental video tutorials, and self-reflection, impact the growth of future educators, and help them reach the goal of influencing learners in deep and dynamic ways? Fuller (1969) realized that pre-service teachers process through predictable stages of concern when faced with teaching related challenges. Early concerns need to be resolved in order to ultimately effect student learning. Fuller's stages of concern model parallels Bandura's (1997) Social Cognitive Theory as it relates to self-efficacy. An individual's efficacy, or competence level, plays a major role in how he/she approaches obstacles or challenges. Pre-service teachers with a high sense of self-efficacy are more likely to believe they can master problems effectively, and ultimately improve student performance. This study, a result of a GRACA grant promoting graduate research, was designed in response to the following question: Will early intervention in the area of lesson planning, resolve concerns and increase self-efficacy in pre-service teacher candidates? Understanding that new teachers will have concerns and face difficult challenges, this study looks at how to better support and prepare future teachers to address concerns and encourage efficacy, so those hurdles won't become barriers to growth.