Cultivating Efficacious Teachers: A Case Study of the Impact of Socialization on Self-Efficacy Belief Development

Lowder, Garrett

Cultivating Efficacious Teachers: A Case Study of the Impact of Socialization on Self-Efficacy Belief Development

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Education preparation institutions have long sought the most effective preparation practices for preparing tomorrow’s educators. Unfortunately, understanding best practices in teacher preparation is fraught with ambiguity. Key facets of instruction on theory and clinical experience are understood to be necessary elements of preparation, and research indicates self-efficacy beliefs cultivated during these experiences may have one of the most significant influences on teacher effectiveness and willingness to remain in the profession. Recent efforts to improve teacher preparation practices have called universities to place focus on enhancing clinical experiences of preservice teachers. Efforts to meet this call have resulted in little data furthering understanding of enhanced clinical experiences on self-efficacy belief development. In this case study, the researcher analyzed a new preparation program employing an immersive, yearlong clinical experience. The researcher sought to understand if socialization into communities of practice during the experience influenced development of preservice teacher self-efficacy beliefs. The researcher analyzed the level of participant socialization and its influence on efficacy source experiences specifically. Additionally, the researcher analyzed if socialization facet variances across intern responses may have affected socialization. Findings indicated efficacy source experiences are linked to individuals’ level of socialization. Efficacy source experiences changed as participant socialization levels changed. Less socialized participants perceived experiences differently and experienced a lack of feedback from mentors. The researcher also found acting community of practice members to have control over socialization facets, resulting in varying levels of socialization amongst participants.

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