Exploring self-efficacy beliefs within the context of teachingmathematicswithconcretemodels1

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate pre-service mathematics teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs about using concrete models in teaching mathematics. Participants were 31 junior pre-service middle school mathematics teachers. Six instructional sessions based on using concrete models were carried out during a three week period. Data were collected by a survey on pre-service teachers’ efficacy
beliefs about using concrete models and semi-structured interviews. Data analysis demonstrated that the instruction had positive contributions on the pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs. In addition, results revealed that pre-service teachers had confidence in themselves about using concrete models both as learners and as teachers. Moreover, they believed that using concrete models would have positive consequences in teaching process and students’ learning. However, pre-service teachers had relatively low efficacies about classroom management.