Effects of practical experience in motor learning and posture on self-efficacy of pre-service teachers

Abstract

Self-efficacy (SE) is an important component in acquiring new skills. Learning and training to become a teacher in general and a physical educator in particular requires that the pre-service student teacher possess SE to carry out their tasks especially after graduating from the appropriate educational program of their choice. The current research aim was to examine the role of practical experience in two complementary courses namely Posture and Motor Learning. The research population comprised of 30 second year students of a four years training course to become physical educators (PE) in the K-12 educational system. Their task was to accompany an adult through 5 sessions within 6 months with the purpose of teaching them to adopt a correct postural position throughout their work. Students were asked to write open ended reflections once a month for five months. Reflections were analyzed qualitatively. The main findings of this study showed that using practical experience helped students increase their SE and allowed them to be more confident of their professional mission. Practical experience challenges learners with active teaching and learning making pre-service teachers active participants who feel more professionally developed.