Pre-service Teachers’ Evidence-Informed Reasoning: Do Attitudes, Subjective Norms, and Self-Efficacy Facilitate the Use of Scientific Theories to Analyze Teaching Problems?

Abstract

Using the theory of planned behavior, we investigated whether attitudes, subjective norms, and self-efficacy facilitate pre-service teachers’ engagement in evidence-informed reasoning about classroom problems. N = 157 pre-service teachers were asked about these motivationally relevant antecedents to engaging in evidence-informed reasoning about classroom-related challenges and analyzed case scenarios of problematic teaching situations. Results revealed that self-reported evidence-informed reasoning was directly predicted by intention to engage in evidence-informed reasoning, self-efficacy, and attitude toward evidence-informed reasoning. However, the objectively coded quality of teachers’ evidence-informed reasoning was seemingly negatively predicted by perceived costs and self-efficacy. Thus, the theory of planned behavior partly explained self-reported evidence-informed reasoning, but not objectively observed reasoning. Pre-service teachers might not be skilled enough to assess their own competency accurately and might be unaware of external conditions facilitating or hindering evidence-informed reasoning. Thus, interventions aiming to foster pre-service teachers’ motivation to engage in evidence-informed reasoning might not be effective until such teachers gain the necessary skills.