Background/Purpose Teacher efficacy is well established as a positive trait in teachers, associated with a variety of effective behaviors and student learning. However, little is known about how efficacy is developed, particularly in physical education teachers. The purpose of this study was to examine whether an initial methods class affected efficacy for teaching physical education.
Method Candidates (n = 51) enrolled in the initial methods class of a health and physical education teacher education curriculum each taught four or five 30-minute lessons to intact elementary classes in a closely supervised experience. Candidates watched videos of each lesson as the basis for structured self-evaluations. Before and after their field experience, each candidate completed the Physical Education Teacher Efficacy Scale, a 35-item, seven-factor instrument.
Analysis/Results Paired t-tests (p < .05) were run on each factor. Although there were trends for increased efficacy on most factors, only one (efficacy for accommodating skill level differences) approached significance (t = 1.904). Efficacy about PE content knowledge, efficacy for applying scientific knowledge in teaching PE, efficacy for teaching students with special needs, efficacy about instruction, efficacy for using assessment, and efficacy for using technology had no significant changes.
Conclusions These results suggest that efficacy for teaching physical education develops with more extensive practice than such a course provides. Further research is needed over longer time periods and different settings, to identify the amount and types of experience that lead to developing teacher efficacy and skill.
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