Enhancing student teacher self-efficacy beliefs to teach priority learners in New Zealand

Authors

  • Sally Hansen Institute of Education, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Massey University, New Zealand
  • Alison Sewell Institute of Education, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Massey University, New Zealand
  • Sarojinie Fernando Institute of Education, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Massey University, New Zealand
  • Abdelhamid Safa Institute of Education, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Massey University, New Zealand

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26686/nzaroe.v22i0.4152

Keywords:

self-efficacy, student teachers, initial teacher education, teacher preparation, priority learners

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore the changes in student teacher efficacy beliefs for teaching priority learners over the course of a one-year postgraduate initial teacher education programme. The sample comprised 23 participants enrolled in the 2015 cohort in a pilot initial teacher education programme specifically tailored to enhance student teacher expertise to teach priority learners. Participants completed a specially designed and refined self-efficacy scale – Self-Efficacy with Diverse Learners: Student Teacher Scale – that targeted their efficacy beliefs about successfully promoting learning for priority learners at the start and at the end of their programme. Changes in efficacy beliefs were statistically measured and the findings indicated that student teacher efficacy beliefs for teaching priority learners had improved significantly over the course of their teacher education programme. In particular, the findings showed that their reported efficacy beliefs for implementing strategies for teaching English speakers of other languages, students with low socioeconomic status, and Māori learners had nearly doubled. Such findings have significant implications for teacher education reforms that aim to enhance student teacher adaptive expertise and in so doing, assist with the long-term goal of achieving more equitable educational outcomes in New Zealand.

 

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Author Biographies

Sally Hansen, Institute of Education, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Massey University, New Zealand

Sally Hansen is the Director of Professional Education Programmes at the Institute of Education, Massey University. Her research interests include building teacher resilience and self-efficacy, and developing school-university partnerships.

Alison Sewell, Institute of Education, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Massey University, New Zealand

Alison Sewell is a teacher educator and leader of the MTchgLn Programme at the Institute of Education, Massey University. Her research interests include developing sociocultural pedagogies, teachers’ professional learning and building school-university partnerships.

Sarojinie Fernando, Institute of Education, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Massey University, New Zealand

Sarojinie Fernando is a Research Officer at the Institute of Education. Her research interests include teacher self-efficacy and students’ learning mathematics in classroom settings.

Abdelhamid Safa, Institute of Education, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Massey University, New Zealand

Abdelhamid Safa is a PhD student in the Institute of Education at Massey University. He holds an MA in Applied Linguistics & TESOL from the University of Leicester.

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Published

2017-12-19

Issue

Vol. 22 (2017): New Zealand Annual Review of Education

Section

Articles

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