Teacher-training students' preparation and self-efficacy regarding skills of teaching preschool children: Observing peer models and modeling

Abstract

The present study had two purposes: investigating effects of observing classmate models and presenting as a model on the preparation of teacher-training students and their self-efficacy on 8 skills involved in teaching preschool-age children, and investigating effects of models' preparation time and eagerness, models' self-evaluations of their presentations, and observers' reactions to the models' presentations on the models' self-efficacy. Participants were 93 students being trained to become nursery school teachers. The results were as follows: (1) observing classmate models increased the observers' preparation and self-efficacy on 4 of the skills measured, (2) presenting as a model increased the models' preparation and self-efficacy on all 8 skills, and (3) the models' self-efficacy increased as their preparation time lengthened and their eagerness increased. These results suggest that observing classmate models and presenting as a model effect teachertraining students' learning of skills for teaching preschool-age children.