Self-efficacy in a sample of education majors and teachers

The teachers' self-efficacy, both personal and general, has a profound effect on students' learning. This study investigated the influence on education students' perceptions of their experience as teaching interns of Personal Teaching Efficacy and General Teaching Efficacy. The participants were 196 undergraduates and graduate students who were preparing for or active as interns in teaching or were teachers. There was a significant effect between Personal Teaching Efficacy and General Teaching Efficacy scores, with all respondents scoring higher on the former scale. A significant interaction indicated that students who had not completed internships scored significantly higher on General Teaching Efficacy than either students who had just completed internships or those who were engaged in teaching. Implications are discussed.