The effects of teaching practice in kindergarten and care nursery on pre-school-teacher-efficacy in the case of junior college students studying early childhood education

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of teaching practices in kindergartens and day care nurseries on perceived pre-school teacher-efficacy (PTE) by longitudinal method. In a preliminary study, a PTE scale was administered to 161 junior college students in an early childhood education course in order to examine changes between pre- and post-teaching practices. The results revealed that the subjects were inclined to increase their PTE scores after their teaching practices. In a primary study, a revised PTE scale was administered to 142 junior college students. The main results were as follows : 1) The PTE scale proved to have satisfactory internal consistency. 2) High validity was shown in a correlation of the PTE score with other measures, such as generalized self-efficacy, locus of control, self-evaluation concerning teaching practice and performance scores evaluated by the guidance teacher. 3) The PTE scores increased significantly after the teaching practice. These results showed that the teaching practice experience enhanced the PTE. 4) The perceived "sense of harmony with the kindergarten" concerning teaching practice had an effective relation to the PTE.