Preservice Content Area Teacher Sense of Self-Efficacy Toward ELL Student Instruction

Abstract

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine secondary preservice teachers' sense of self-efficacy in ELL student instruction. The researcher administered an adapted version of the Teacher Sense of Self-Efficacy (TSES) survey created by Tschannen-Moran and Woolfolk Hoy in 2001, to a sample population of preservice teachers. The survey consisted of demographic questions, a program evaluation and the TSES which is composed of 12 questions on a 5-point Likert scale where participants indicated the degree to which each question corresponded to their ability to affect a given situation. It was found that perceived preservice program quality and sense of self-efficacy are positively related, participants felt the greatest sense of self-efficacy in student engagement and the least sense of self-efficacy in instructional strategies in terms of ELL student instruction, and that there is no relationship between secondary preservice teacher’s current standing and effectiveness in ELL student instruction. Findings from this study speak to the need of higher education leaders to evaluate their preservice programs to ensure that they are structured in such a way that allows their preservice teachers to feel knowledgeable and effective, should they have to teach ELL students in the future.