Exploratory Analysis of Korean Elementary Preservice Teachers’ Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs

Dohyoung Ryang

doi:10.29333/iejme/269

Abstract

This study compared mathematics teaching efficacy beliefs of elementary preservice teachers in South Korea. Data was collected by administering a Korean-translated Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument to 106 elementary preservice teachers in a national university of education in South Korea. Analysis of data revealed that preservice teachers at the end point (seniors) of the program had significantly lower personal efficacy and outcome expectancy in mathematics teaching than those of preservice teachers at the beginning (sophomores) of the program. Heavy content coursework and cultural influence are discussed as potential factors to this result.

Highlights

Efficacy belief is an idea with significant implications in education
The result indicated that the Personal Mathematics Teaching Efficacy (PMTE) and Mathematics Teaching Outcome Expectancy (MTOE) scale has a one-factor structure
The result of exploratory factor analysis indicated that the two-factor structure based on Bandura’s cognitive learning theory was not perfectly set but reasonably acceptable after deleting the two items which were cross-loaders

Summary

Introduction

Efficacy belief is an idea with significant implications in education. Teacher efficacy is an important construct to predict their actual efficacious teaching. Efficacy beliefs are somewhat resistant to change, once they are established (Tschannen-Moran, Woolfolk Hoy, & Hoy, 1998). They are more open to change in preservice teachers (Hoy & Spero, 2005). The purpose of this study is first to explore the MTEBI for South Korea and to investigate mathematics teaching efficacy beliefs of Korean elementary preservice teachers at the beginning (sophomore) and end (senior) of their teacher education program. (1) Is the MTEBI an appropriate instrument for the use in studying Korean preservice teachers’ mathematics efficacy?. (2) How does mathematics teaching efficacy beliefs of Korean elementary preservice teachers differ between the entry and the end group of the program?

Objectives

Results

Conclusion