Is Teacher Efficacy Influenced by the Teacher Internship Model? A Collective Case Study Exploring the Self-Efficacy of Preservice Teachers

Abstract

The primary objective of this study was to explore how preservice teachers perceive their teacher efficacy based on a specific internship model utilizing a qualitative study. The study explored the teacher efficacy of undergraduate preservice teachers from two institutions who utilize two different internship models. One institution used a traditional model of internship lasting one semester. The other institution used a professional development model of internship lasting 2 years. My data was collected during the participants’ last semester of college. I explored the attributes of internship models that increase teacher efficacy in the areas of instructional strategies, lesson planning, and assessment specifically. I did not find that one internship model provided more teacher efficacy than the other. Instead, I found three specific things preservice teachers felt increased their teacher efficacy the most: real-world experience working with students, college lesson plan expectations, and using assessments with students.