Training future teachers in higher education to teach: Examining the role of teaching conceptions, interest and self-efficacy on teaching ability in a teacher training course

Abstract

Graduate students form a substantial portion of the teaching force at many higher education institutions but often begin with no teaching experience and are given little pedagogical and practical training, unlike their counterparts preparing to teach in primary and secondary school. Training courses conducted by their institution serve to lessen these shortcomings, but are often voluntary and hence not taken widely. A longitudinal study (N=310) investigating the effects of a short mandatory course lasting 10 weeks (24 hours of face-to-face teaching) offered to graduate students from ten faculties at a research-intensive university is reported. Self-reported surveys completed at the beginning (Time-1, Week 1) and towards the end of the course (Time-2, Week 9) on conceptions of teaching (teacher-centered and student-centered), interest and self-efficacy in teaching are paired with end-of-semester achievement where participants are assessed on a 10-minute teaching session (Time-3, Week 10). Using Latent SEM and controlling for academic background (STEM or non-STEM) and gender, all variables had significant auto-lag predictions from Time-1 to Time-2 (β=.39-.62). Significant cross-lagged predictions included 1) student-centered teaching (Time-1) predicted self-efficacy (Time-2, β=.31), 2) self-efficacy (Time-1) predicted interest (Time-2, β=.17), 3) self-efficacy (Time-2) predicted achievement (Time-3, β=.32). Male participants were more likely to start the course more self-efficacious in teaching than females (Time-1 only, β=-.14), and participants from STEM faculties were more likely to hold teacher-centered teaching views (Time-1 only, β=.18), while participants from non-STEM faculties were more likely to hold student-centered teaching views (Time-1 only, β=-.18). Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.