Abstract:

The Covid-19 pandemic caused unprecedented global disruption to human activities. This level of disturbance would be unethical during normal research. However, researchers were able to gather data and make comparisons with the pre-pandemic situations. This paper adds new findings to a mixed methods study of pre-service teachers’ confidence to teach during the pandemic. Previous findings have been reported in International Academy of Technology, Education and Development (IATED) conference proceedings papers [1][2][3][4].

Pre-service teachers on initial teacher education (ITE) programmes at a higher education (HE) provider in partnership with schools in the northwest of England were invited to participate in anonymous online surveys during 2020 and 2021. Confidence in their ability to demonstrate a range of teaching skills was expressed as numerical self-efficacy scores and open responses. Participants were invited to provide anonymous demographic information including their experience of anti-Covid-19 measures and the associated impact on their ITE programmes [1] [2] [3].

Anti-Covid-19 measures impacted differently on the ITE programmes as the pandemic progressed [1] [2] [3]. Statistical analysis of self-efficacy scores and qualitative analysis of skill statements suggested reasons for the increased self-efficacy scores ascribed by 2020-21 respondents [4]. Further statistical analysis suggests the importance of the final phase of school experience placements for pre-service teachers in developing an awareness of the interrelationships between teaching skills.

The paper is relevant for ITE programmes in the United Kingdom (UK) and internationally where assessment is based upon the successful demonstration of teaching skills or competencies. The discussion highlights the importance of including personal attributes in recruitment criteria alongside qualifications. Bandura’s [5] influences on self-efficacy and Korthagen’s [6] model for reflection were utilised to help theorise the findings.

References:
[1] Tynan, R. and Mallaburn, A., “The self-efficacy of trainee teachers who were recommended for qualified teacher status (QTS) in England during the Covid-19 pandemic,” EDULEARN22 Proceedings, pp. 484-489, 2022
[2] Tynan, R. and Mallaburn, A., “The self-efficacy of trainee teachers recommended for qualified teacher status (QTS) in England during the Covid-19 pandemic: looking for explanations,” ICERI 2022 Proceedings, pp. 6984-6993, 2022
[3] Tynan, R. and Mallaburn, A., “The self-efficacy of pre-service teachers: lessons learned during the covid-19 pandemic in the northwest of England,” EDULEARN23 Proceedings, pp. 2276-2281, 2023
[4] Tynan, R. and Mallaburn, A., “One effect on pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy scores linked to changes in anti-covid-19 measures as the pandemic progressed in schools in the northwest of England,” INTED24 Proceedings, 2024
[5]Bandura, A., Self-efficacy: The exercise of control, New York, NY: W.H. Freeman, 1997
[6] Korthagen, F., “Inconvenient truths about teacher learning: towards professional development 3.0," Teachers and Teaching, 23(4), pp 387-405, 2017

Keywords:

Pre-service teachers, self-efficacy, Covid-19, England, chi squared, contingency tables, Pearson’s r, mixed study, Korthagen, Bandura.