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A Longitudinal Inquiry of Sources of Teacher Self-Efficacy: From the Professional Experience into the First Year of Teaching

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Title: A Longitudinal Inquiry of Sources of Teacher Self-Efficacy: From the Professional Experience into the First Year of Teaching
Language: English
Authors: Kang Ma (ORCID 0000-0002-2600-7150), Michael Cavanagh (ORCID 0000-0002-6537-4447)
Source: European Journal of Teacher Education. 2026 49(1):152-167.
Availability: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 16
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Preservice Teachers, Beginning Teachers, Self Efficacy, Longitudinal Studies, Teaching Experience, Cultural Influences, Teacher Placement
Geographic Terms: China
DOI: 10.1080/02619768.2024.2311695
ISSN: 0261-9768
1469-5928
Abstract: The cultivation of robust teacher self-efficacy (TSE) has been regarded as essential in the early career stages; however, little is known about its sources and changing mechanisms during such a period, especially in the Chinese context. The study utilised a longitudinal qualitative method, interviewing participants (n = 6) at the beginning and completion of their professional experience and the end of the first teaching semester. The results indicate mastery experience and vicarious experience were the most reported sources, whereas neither social persuasion nor physiological and emotional states were valued. Variations in the effects and cultural specificity of the sources were apparent. Implications and limitations are discussed.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1503198
Database: ERIC
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  Value: <anid>AN0190931194;54n01jan.26;2026Jan20.04:56;v2.2.500</anid> <title id="AN0190931194-1">A longitudinal inquiry of sources of teacher self-efficacy: from the professional experience into the first year of teaching </title> <p>The cultivation of robust teacher self-efficacy (TSE) has been regarded as essential in the early career stages; however, little is known about its sources and changing mechanisms during such a period, especially in the Chinese context. The study utilised a longitudinal qualitative method, interviewing participants (n = 6) at the beginning and completion of their professional experience and the end of the first teaching semester. The results indicate mastery experience and vicarious experience were the most reported sources, whereas neither social persuasion nor physiological and emotional states were valued. Variations in the effects and cultural specificity of the sources were apparent. Implications and limitations are discussed.</p> <p>Keywords: Teacher self-efficacy; teacher education; professional experience; early-career</p> <p>Teachers' perception of their capabilities to complete tasks required to be an effective teacher, termed teacher self-efficacy (TSE), is essential in teacher and student development (Peura et al. [<reflink idref="bib25" id="ref1">25</reflink>]). Policymakers and teacher educators have sought to cultivate robust TSE and called for more research on its sources and the mechanism that contributes to its changes (Symesa, Lazaridesa, and Hußnera [<reflink idref="bib31" id="ref2">31</reflink>]). Self-efficacy fluctuates more in its early development stages, after which it resists change (Bandura [<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref3">1</reflink>]). Professional experience placements are typically associated with significant changes in the TSE of pre-service teachers (PSTs), as revealed in longitudinal quantitative studies (Hoang and Wyatt [<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref4">8</reflink>]). Meanwhile, the first teaching year is the initial chance to take full responsibility for a teacher and tends to be associated with dramatic changes in teacher self-efficacy (Işıksal-Bostan [<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref5">12</reflink>]). However, studies solely focused on TSE changes might not provide teacher educators with sufficient strategies for its cultivation without considering the contributing sources and associated change mechanisms (Symesa, Lazaridesa, and Hußnera [<reflink idref="bib31" id="ref6">31</reflink>]).</p> <p>Little is known about the sources and changing mechanism of TSE, especially during professional experience and into the first year of teaching (Wray, Sharma, and Subban [<reflink idref="bib37" id="ref7">37</reflink>]), or about variations in pre-service teachers' interpretation of each source across different stages of development. The interpretation of TSE sources also varies among teachers from different cultural contexts (Yada et al. [<reflink idref="bib38" id="ref8">38</reflink>]). For example, teachers from Confucianism cultures position verbal persuasion as the most influential (Hoang and Wyatt [<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref9">8</reflink>]), though few studies on TSE sources of Chinese PSTs have been conducted. The current study investigates the sources in TSE across different stages of professional experience placement and into the first teaching semester of a group of Chinese PSTs.</p> <hd id="AN0190931194-2">Early-career TSE changes and the associated sources</hd> <p>Individuals establish their efficacy beliefs based on the information integrated from four primary sources: mastery experience, vicarious experience, social persuasion, and physiological and affective states (Bandura [<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref10">1</reflink>]). TSE changes during the placement have attracted the most attention and the results are mixed (Ma et al. [<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref11">18</reflink>]), which makes it challenging to identify what and how each source contributes to TSE changes (Wray, Sharma, and Subban [<reflink idref="bib37" id="ref12">37</reflink>]).</p> <p>The predominance of mastery experience might not be consistent across stages of self-efficacy changes and its impacts might reduce if individuals cannot accumulate sufficient experience (Tschannen-Moran and Hoy [<reflink idref="bib32" id="ref13">32</reflink>]). However, individuals predominantly rely on mastery experience to develop their TSE (Ma et al. [<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref14">18</reflink>]). For example, PSTs addressed the importance of pedagogical knowledge embedded in the teaching method course (Yurekli, Iksal-Bostan, and Çakıroğlu [<reflink idref="bib41" id="ref15">41</reflink>]) and the impact of this knowledge lasts into the placement (Marschall and Watson [<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref16">19</reflink>]). In contrast, the reports on cognitive content mastery have been mixed (Webb and LoFaro [<reflink idref="bib36" id="ref17">36</reflink>]).</p> <p>The effects of mastery experience on TSE gained during the placement may not be enduring into the first year of teaching. PSTs' unrealistic positiveness about their teaching capability can be confronted with new challenges once they take on a formal teaching position (Işıksal-Bostan [<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref18">12</reflink>]). Also, the responsibilities shared with their mentor teachers in lesson planning, for example, make PSTs reluctant to attribute successful planning outcomes to their own efforts (Rupp and Susann Becker [<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref19">30</reflink>]). PSTs might not attribute insignificant TSE increases to the ineffectiveness of the teaching practising experience because they might have changed their understanding of effective teaching. Also, doubts over one's capability encourage individuals to reflect on their current practice and stimulate teaching innovations (Noben et al. [<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref20">24</reflink>]).</p> <p>Vicarious experience, or the causal relationship between behaviours and results observed from others integrated with simulating themselves in the same situation, is important for PSTs before they gain explicit references regarding their achievement of them (Bandura [<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref21">1</reflink>]). PSTs reported that witnessing the accomplishment of their mentors in conducting instruction made completing the same tasks more tangible (Webb and LoFaro [<reflink idref="bib36" id="ref22">36</reflink>]). However, this becomes less valued with greater teaching experience (Yada et al. [<reflink idref="bib38" id="ref23">38</reflink>]).</p> <p>Researchers have encountered difficulties examining the impacts of vicarious experience since PSTs may not recognise the characteristics of the observed subjects, including their mentor teachers and peer PSTs (van Rooij, Fokkens-Bruinsma, and Goedhart [<reflink idref="bib34" id="ref24">34</reflink>]). PSTs prefer referential information from their peers rather than from experienced teachers due to similarities in developmental stages and individual characteristics (Webb and LoFaro [<reflink idref="bib36" id="ref25">36</reflink>]). Also, the insignificant predictability of this source might be because PSTs generally do not compare themselves with teachers they observe since they are mainly focused on mastering classroom skills (Barton and Dexter [<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref26">2</reflink>]). It might also be due to PSTs' limited teaching observation opportunities (Yada et al. [<reflink idref="bib38" id="ref27">38</reflink>]).</p> <p>Individuals who receive regular feedback tend to develop an initial high self-efficacy; however, the effects of this social persuasion could decrease over time (Mohamadi and Asadzadeh [<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref28">20</reflink>]). This might be because the improvements are only based on what they were told, indicating the necessity to accompany persuasive information with enactive experience embedded in active learning (Barton and Dexter [<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref29">2</reflink>]). Such a decrease could also be due to the lack of innovative information in repeated persuasive communication.</p> <p>Not all persuasive information is influential, especially when perceived as 'unrealistic' (Yurekli, Iksal-Bostan, and Çakıroğlu [<reflink idref="bib41" id="ref30">41</reflink>]). PSTs reported that mentor teacher feedback was less influential due to infrequent interactions, including classroom visits and communications, with their mentors (Clark and Newberry [<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref31">6</reflink>]). This source could be culturally specific, with individuals from collectivist cultures reporting more reliance on persuasive information than those from individualist cultures (Moradkhani and Haghi [<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref32">21</reflink>]).</p> <p>Physiological and affective states can inform PSTs whether they are prepared to conduct teaching-related tasks (Marschall and Watson [<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref33">19</reflink>]), although these states might not be essential indicators of their capability. Instead, they become effective through meditating cognition processes (Poulou [<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref34">28</reflink>]). Negative emotional states, like the stresses associated with implementing technological changes, have lowered in-service teachers' TSE (Yin, Han, and Perron [<reflink idref="bib39" id="ref35">39</reflink>]). However, not considering positive emotions could limit the understanding of this source (Morris, Usher, and Chen [<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref36">22</reflink>]) since individual teachers who adjust and maintain their emotional arousal at a desirable level would be more sensitive and reactive to daily teaching challenges (Yin, Tam, and Lau [<reflink idref="bib40" id="ref37">40</reflink>]). This source appears less influential than the other three (Yada et al. [<reflink idref="bib38" id="ref38">38</reflink>]) and has not always been verified as an independent source (Poulou [<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref39">28</reflink>]). The predicting direction between TSE and emotional states is mixed. Teacher stress and TSE have simultaneously increased during the placement (Klassen and Durksen [<reflink idref="bib14" id="ref40">14</reflink>]), whereas feeling involved in teaching predicted TSE longitudinally (Burić and Kim [<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref41">4</reflink>]). It might be the effects of this source occur sporadically, making it difficult to detect (Morris, Usher, and Chen [<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref42">22</reflink>]).</p> <hd id="AN0190931194-3">Cultural specificity of teacher self-efficacy</hd> <p>TSE has been reported to vary across different cultures as the interpretations of being a teacher are embedded in teachers' own cultures (Hoy and Burke Spero [<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref43">11</reflink>]). Teachers from northern European countries, which are characterised as highly individualistic, were more inclined to exhibit higher TSE (Vieluf, Kunter, and Van de Vijver [<reflink idref="bib35" id="ref44">35</reflink>]). However, teachers from Confucian, Mediterranean, and eastern European countries tended to rate themselves lower. This phenomenon is consistent with the lower levels of TSE usually found in Asian countries (Ruan et al. [<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref45">29</reflink>]). This has been considered a paradox because teachers with lower TSE in collectivist countries, especially in Asia, might have more effective teaching strategies (Vieluf, Kunter, and Van de Vijver [<reflink idref="bib35" id="ref46">35</reflink>]). It is also possible that there are different understandings of teachers' roles across different cultures. For example, Chinese teachers tend to integrate personal guidance with instruction and discipline while Australian teachers tend to regard these three separately (Ho and Tai Hau [<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref47">10</reflink>]). Chinese PSTs have easier access to parental assistance than those from the US, and the former did not consider receiving help from parents to indicate lower TSE (Cheung [<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref48">5</reflink>]). Also, in Confucian cultural contexts, it is more acceptable for PSTs to exercise punishment in class, which might not necessarily indicate their inability to manage students (Hoang and Wyatt [<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref49">8</reflink>]). Despite these findings, few empirical studies have been conducted on TSE in cultural contexts other than in North America (Fackler and Erik Malmberg [<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref50">7</reflink>]).</p> <p>Variations in how teachers interpret and value information on individual capabilities are also apparent across cultures (Klassen [<reflink idref="bib13" id="ref51">13</reflink>]). Chinese teachers were reported to regard persuasion from others as the most impactful, which might be explained by the reliance of Chinese teachers on external criteria informed by others, which becomes influential as no specific external criteria could be referred to judge good teaching (Hoi et al. [<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref52">9</reflink>]). Their TSE was also less likely to be increased by attaining individual achievements unless these were accompanied by social admiration from students and school leaders (Phan and Locke [<reflink idref="bib27" id="ref53">27</reflink>]). This might be because individuals from collectivist cultures attach more value to their individual image in the community, whose establishment relies on social judgements (Phan and Locke [<reflink idref="bib27" id="ref54">27</reflink>]). Teachers from countries like Japan reported authentic feedback, mainly from school administrators, reduced their TSE (Yada et al. [<reflink idref="bib38" id="ref55">38</reflink>]), perhaps because the comments were interpreted as external evaluation within the influence of the hierarchical social structure. Confucian contexts value social harmony, with teachers not receiving many critical verbal comments, which might make them less inclined to trust such efficacy information (Liang, Song, and Sun [<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref56">15</reflink>]). Meanwhile, persuasion in oral form might not be as effective as feeling respected and trusted, which has been found to be the most significant contributor to TSE among Chinese teachers (Cheung [<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref57">5</reflink>]).</p> <hd id="AN0190931194-4">The present study</hd> <p>It is essential to emphasise the establishment of TSE throughout the early career stages though longitudinal studies are rare (Morris, Usher, and Chen [<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref58">22</reflink>]; Wray, Sharma, and Subban [<reflink idref="bib37" id="ref59">37</reflink>]). Meanwhile, few studies have been completed among Chinese participants (Yin, Tam, and Lau [<reflink idref="bib40" id="ref60">40</reflink>]). Therefore, the present study utilises a longitudinal qualitative inquiry to investigate the following research question:</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> How do sources contribute to the TSE of a group of Chinese PSTs throughout their professional experience placement and first year of school teaching?</item> </ulist> <hd id="AN0190931194-5">Methods</hd> <p></p> <hd id="AN0190931194-6">Participants</hd> <p>All interviewees (<emph>n</emph> = 6) were primary PSTs enrolled in a 4-year initial teacher education programme in a local Chinese university and were from two types of programmes, one with a regular pathway to graduation (<emph>n</emph> = 1) and the other with a secured permanent teaching position for candidates in a rural school (<emph>n</emph> = 5). They had all completed courses on educational theories, educational psychology, and teaching subjects in the first two years and in pedagogies and primary school curriculums in the third year. They also had to accomplish informal peer-supervised training in chalk writing and public speech in the first year. When interviewed, they were in their only professional experience placement, scheduled in the first semester of the fourth year for a three-month period, before finishing a degree thesis and topics on temporary educational reforms in the last semester. PSTs being provided with a permanent position took their placements in rural schools back in their hometown and took additional courses on rural education. They were then allocated a mentor, attended the regular seminars on teaching research among peers (<emph>jioayan</emph>[<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref61">1</reflink>]) and a compulsory teaching showcase, and took the position of <emph>banzhuren</emph>.[<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref62">2</reflink>]</p> <p>Ethics approval was received at the university, and participants completed consent forms. All participants completed a newly validated Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale (Ma et al. [<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref63">17</reflink>]) that covers TSE for classroom teaching and school-level activities. This was completed four times, namely at the beginning, middle and end of the placement and the end of the first teaching semester. All six PSTs were female and aged between 20 and 22, representing different patterns of TSE changing and they consented to be interviewed once they completed one-half of their placement.</p> <hd id="AN0190931194-7">Interview process</hd> <p>Semi-structured interviews were conducted individually between the first author and each interviewee. Each interview lasted for approximately 40 to 60 minutes and was conducted initially in person in the first author's office, with the other two times being by phone due to the travel restrictions associated with Covid-19. All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed by a certified transcribing company.</p> <p>Each interview started with the participants sharing their understanding of the capabilities needed to be an effective teacher, followed by their assessment of the extent to which they were certain about accomplishing these capabilities. They then described their most recent professional experience, including characteristics of the school, mentor teachers, and students, before reporting on whether any changes in their certainty about different domains of tasks had occurred with the completion of each period of experience. They were guided to reflect on the main reasons for the changes they reported. Also, reasons were followed up once changes in TSE were reported between different times of each interviewee. A list of influential backup factors identified from TSE literature, including initial teacher education, school administration and personality, was discussed at the completion of each interview if not mentioned to check how participants thought about their impacts on their TSE.</p> <hd id="AN0190931194-8">Data analysis</hd> <p>Data were analysed with NVivo12 using a six-step procedure suggested by Braun et al. ([<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref64">3</reflink>]): data familiarisation, initial code generating, theme identification based on a prior category of four self-efficacy sources (Bandura [<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref65">1</reflink>]), theme reviewing and naming, coding and theme frameworks refining and result reporting. First, the transcripts were read repeatedly to form an overall understanding of the interviewee's responses. Second, initial codes were generated through a reflexive iteration of searching and connecting insights from the data to construct a refined understanding of the participant's responses and how these addressed the research question. This process allowed us to interpret the data with the research question in mind and the iterative process was only suspended when no more novel codes could be generated. Third, the <emph>a priori</emph> categories relating to the four known sources of self-efficacy, namely mastery experiences, physiological and affective states, social persuasion, and vicarious experience, were adopted, followed by coding each participant's responses as they related to each category. In addition, a new theme, 'other sources', was created to code information that could not be easily coded into the existing four sources. Fourth, the themes were systematically examined before being named to represent the corresponding codes accurately. Fifth, the codes of all themes were systematically examined to minimise the possibility of either misplaced or replicated nodes. Finally, themes, together with codes, were described and reported.</p> <hd id="AN0190931194-9">Results</hd> <p>The interviewees reflected on their self-efficacy for both classroom teaching and school-level activities together with influential factors coded according to the four self-efficacy sources (Bandura [<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref66">1</reflink>]). Variations in the effects of each source on TSE were apparent, with mastery experience (<emph>n</emph> = 6 at Phase 1, <emph>n</emph> = 6 at Phase 2, and <emph>n</emph> = 4 at Phase 3) and vicarious experience (<emph>n</emph> = 6 at Phase 1, <emph>n</emph> = 6 at Phase 2 and <emph>n</emph> = 4 at Phase 3) being regarded as the most influential.</p> <hd id="AN0190931194-10">Mastery experience</hd> <p></p> <hd id="AN0190931194-11">Need for an authentic experience</hd> <p>Not having sufficient realistic, practical experience was the main reason for the initial low TSE for classroom teaching before their placement (<emph>n</emph> = 6). Interviewees regarded their teacher education programme as theoretically oriented which failed to assist them in developing an initial understanding of teaching by not providing school experience in the first three years. The only elements mentioned as beneficial for making them (<emph>n</emph> = 6 at Phase 1) feel prepared were informal training for chalk and pen writing and impromptu speech organised in the first year of their programme, which strengthened their fundamental skills needed for primary teaching. It was essential for those whose teaching subject was Chinese (<emph>n</emph> = 3) to feel comfortable writing on the blackboard once they realised the importance of learning strokes for lower graders. However, nearly all interviewees (<emph>n</emph> = 4 at Phase 2; <emph>n</emph> = 4 at Phase 3) considered this as insufficient to improve their competence in achieving these skills.</p> <p>Most interviewees (<emph>n</emph> = 5 at Phase 2) felt better about teaching by immersing themselves in classrooms during the placement and realising that 'teaching is challenging but not that tough'. Yasmin was the only participant who indicated the placement as 'unbeneficial', as it did not feature any teaching but only lesson observations and rating the students' homework, so she felt reluctant to teach in either high- or low-performing schools at Phase 2.</p> <p>When interviewees anticipated the first year of teaching, even those with a higher TSE reported the need for a longer and more authentic experience. This was particularly relevant regarding their enduring uncertainties about school-level activities (<emph>n</emph> = 5 at Phase 2), including dealing with parents, being a <emph>banduzhuren</emph>, cooperating with colleagues, and engaging in other administrative tasks due to having 'not gotten a touch on these yet'.</p> <p>The call for a more authentic experience was also expressed by participants (<emph>n</emph> = 4 at Phase 3) at the end of the first teaching semester. However, their focus was on the long-term outcomes of their teaching and measures to tackle specific tasks, including managing student behaviours. As to Savannah in Phase 3, 'without such feedback, I would not be certain about whether my teaching was effective or not'.</p> <hd id="AN0190931194-12">Student associated experience</hd> <p>The involvement of students differentiated interviewees' teaching practice from the simulated teaching activities they engaged in during the first three years of their teacher education programme. Regarding TSE for instruction strategies, they felt it easier to follow the procedures set out in their lesson plans and were challenged by unanticipated student questions which were 'out of expectations' and left no teacher response time (<emph>n</emph> = 6at Phase 1 and <emph>n</emph> = 6 at Phase 2). The challenge of dealing with these unexpected events influenced their perceptions of their instructional effectiveness.</p> <p>Participants tended to become more flexible with instruction at the completion of the first teaching semester (<emph>n</emph> = 4 at Phase 3) through more 'in-depth and systematic teaching than during the placement'. Yusra maintained uncertainty about asking and distributing questions to students properly in Phase 2, noting, 'my fulfilment about teaching improved fast but forcibly this semester. You have to rely on realistic issues, solving them, to accumulate such experience' (Yusra at Phase 3).</p> <p>Although their initial focus was mainly on completing the instruction planned beforehand, they began to feel challenged to have their students follow their instructions (<emph>n</emph> = 6 at Phase 1 and <emph>n</emph> = 6 at Phase 2). Phase 3 interviewees (<emph>n</emph> = 3) started to customise themselves into the real classroom teaching whereas they 'could only teach according to the plan and now the teaching is no longer smooth as during the placement because it is inevitable to have unexpected problems. How to deal with this is one of the most improvements I have made' (Savannah at Phase 3).</p> <p>All interviewees reported 'having no clue about' student management across the placement (<emph>n</emph> = 6 at Phase 1 and <emph>n</emph> = 6 at Phase 2) and it was still challenging in the first teaching semester (<emph>n</emph> = 4 at Phase 3). Also, their less-than-satisfactory classroom management influenced perceptions of their teaching effectiveness more generally, including failing to complete the lesson plan and maintaining students' concentration.</p> <p>Participants became more tentative about trusting their capability to manage students effectively after spending much time dealing with students during their first semester of teaching (<emph>n</emph> = 4 at Phase 3). This is most likely because they began to experiment with measures to tackle student misbehaviours, ranging from rewarding and punishing, focusing on the 'most problematic' student, to keeping the class back during breaks. Meanwhile, participants 'felt pressured to form a serious image and had to pretend to be serious and not smile at the beginning of the semester' to exercise their power as a teacher (<emph>n</emph> = 4 at Phase 3). Even so, they benefited from the status of being a teacher instead of a student (teacher) during the placement by gaining more autonomy in student management and independently taking more responsibility.</p> <hd id="AN0190931194-13">Cognitive mastery experience</hd> <p>All but one (<emph>n</emph> = 5 at Phase 1 and Phase 2; <emph>n</emph> = 3 at Phase 3) interviewee regarded theoretical educational courses, which were characterised as not about how to teach and uninteresting, as ineffective in assisting them to feel prepared for teaching. Only Kinsley, who did much self-studying on such subjects for a postgraduate degree, realised how useful theoretical knowledge like psychology was in assisting her to understand students.</p> <p>Participants preferred to develop their understanding of the structure of the teaching content to ensure a better teaching flow (<emph>n</emph> = 4 at Phase 1). As their experience grew, they started to realise the essentiality of being selective about guiding students to focus on key and difficult content and make their teaching more efficient to enhance students' learning outcomes. However, it was apparent that they tended to deliver the content step by step equally rather than flexibly addressing the key learning goals or difficult knowledge which lowered their perceptions of their teaching capability (<emph>n</emph> = 6 at Phase 2). Participants still emphasised lesson planning in the first teaching semester (<emph>n</emph> = 4 at Phase 3) to 'secure' the smooth pace of their teaching and its alignment with curriculum goals, indicating the need to strengthen their TSE for instruction.</p> <p>By observing experienced teachers teaching the same lesson or online courses of elite teachers, interviewees knew the key content that needed to be addressed and this reduced the pressure of lesson planning and instruction, either before or during the lesson. The reliance on such continued into the first teaching semester (<emph>n</emph> = 3 at Phase 3).</p> <p>Knowing the procedure to conduct a lesson through pedagogical courses and lesson observations encouraged them to feel better about their teaching capability (<emph>n</emph> = 6at Phase 1; <emph>n</emph> = 3 at Phase 2; <emph>n</emph> = 4 at Phase 3). However, such an experience failed to influence TSE for classroom teaching and tasks like dealing with parents due to 'having no clear procedures to follow up as teaching' (<emph>n</emph> = 4 at Phase 2).</p> <hd id="AN0190931194-14">Vicarious experience</hd> <p>All interviewees not only learned from experienced teachers' modelling but compared their practice with them which impacted how they perceived their capability. Most (<emph>n</emph> = 5 at Phase 1; <emph>n</emph> = 4 at Phase 3) were impressed by how well the experienced teachers maintained the lesson flow, compared with their unsatisfactory teaching which was often interrupted by students' questions and disengagement.</p> <p>Failures of mentor teachers, meanwhile, to manage disruptive students and the unsatisfactory performance of the new formal teachers worsened the interviewees' TSE, especially those whose initial level was low for conducting similar tasks. For instance, Yasmin, who had a constant low TSE for instruction, said at Phase 1, 'Even we could notice the potential problems existed in her (one first-year teacher she observed) teaching, but if I were her, probably not as good as her even'.</p> <p>The negative effects of disparities with experienced teachers observed continued when interviewees considered the negative outcomes of their efforts to apply such into practice. Nearly all tried to replicate the teaching of their mentors or online teaching videos and encountered failures in achieving similar effects. Even so, not all disparities discouraged interviewees from being efficacious about teaching. For instance, Kinsley in Phase 2 was puzzled about why experienced teachers could control the students' misbehaviours especially considering the unsatisfactory discipline in her teaching. However, she attributed this to their formal professional role and experience of 'several decades', which allowed experienced teachers to exercise more punishment and gain respect from students. Also, PSTs tended not to feel less efficacious even when they noticed the differences between the experienced teachers and themselves, especially in situations where PSTs disagreed with the strategies taken by their mentors. Two interviewees (Delilah and Kinsley at Phase 2) did not feel bad about their teaching capability, realising methods like punishing students using teaching sticks used by mentors could elicit negative effects on students.</p> <p>Participants only mentioned noticing the difference in foundational teaching skills, including speech and writing, between peers who had no learning background in teacher education and themselves made them feel more 'professional' (<emph>n</emph> = 2 at Phase 3). Noticeably, they failed to compare themselves with experienced teachers though they reported many observation experiences. It was not uncommon for participants to feel desperate to observe mentors in their teaching and regard their mentors as the standards by which to make judgements on their own practice (<emph>n</emph> = 4 at Phase 3).</p> <hd id="AN0190931194-15">Social persuasion</hd> <p>Interviewees generally did not report they received many direct comments, especially negative ones, on their performance from their mentors or other experienced colleagues. Among those who reported on this, the comments of mentor teachers made an essential difference in how PSTs perceived their capability. Kinsley felt the toughness of realistic teaching and lowered her TSE when she heard that 'I [her mentor] could only comfort you in this way'. Meanwhile, it was not uncommon for PSTs to report their mentors were too busy to comment on their teaching. As Savannah in Phase 2 said, 'My teacher just let me teach solely, so she basically did not attend when I was teaching'. It could also be because 'The limited comments were basically praising me' (Kinsley at Phase 1). In addition, it was apparent that the impact of external praise from their mentors on their TSE could be limited as PSTs had a clearer understanding that 'it is me who took responsibility for my own learning', so they hesitated to make quick changes in their TSE despite being glad to hear such praise.</p> <p>Negative feedback on their capability did not seem to reduce interviewees' TSE as long as their mentor teachers showed their understanding of the identity of being PSTs who were allowed to make mistakes which are 'common for new teachers'.</p> <p>Being trusted by their mentors was reported to make them feel valued as a capable colleague. Examples included when mentor teachers allocated new lesson topics for PSTs to teach at short notice without much concern about their preparedness (<emph>n</emph> = 3 at Phase 2) or being given a class to teach by their mentors or being asked to teach for others who were temporarily on leave (<emph>n</emph> = 1 at Phase 3).</p> <hd id="AN0190931194-16">The highs and lows in emotions</hd> <p>No clear causal relationship between emotional states and TSE was expressed by the interviewees though positive and negative emotions were mentioned when they reflected on changes in TSE. All interviewees felt nervous at the start of their placement, especially anticipating the upcoming placement and the first year of their careers. For instance, even at the completion of the placement, they still felt nervous about how to manage a class and deal with parents due to rarely experiencing these domains, which might indicate the realistic understanding of formal teaching as 'must not be relaxing as a formal teacher, especially since I became familiar with the teaching process and had a better understanding of it' (Yusra at Phase 2). However, the TSE they developed seemed to provide PSTs with psychological sources to take on such challenges. For instance, 'I always feel nervous when anticipated to be a headteacher as I did before this placement, whereas I might behave better than I could anticipate'. (Savannah at Phase 3)</p> <p>Once they transferred into the first year of teaching, all participants reported being 'overwhelmed' and tended not to be positive about their capability (<emph>n</emph> = 4 at Phase 3). For instance, Kinsley reported her ambitions to compete for teaching prizes in her early career at both Phase 1 and 2; however, 'I dare not to imagine whether I would still try to attend those competitions even within the next two or three years due to I am over occupied'.</p> <hd id="AN0190931194-17">Discussion</hd> <p>The present study contributes a longitudinal perspective to the understanding of TSE sources during an essential early career stage in the Chinese context. The study was reported within Bandura's [<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref67">1</reflink>], indicating that such a theoretical framework can provide a solid foundation for the validation of TSE sources. However, such a framework has not been well confirmed in the existing empirical studies (Yada et al. [<reflink idref="bib38" id="ref68">38</reflink>]), perhaps because, as found in this study, each source could function in different formats across different stages. Such a finding not only confirms the advantages of longitudinal inquiry into TSE sources (Wray, Sharma, and Subban [<reflink idref="bib37" id="ref69">37</reflink>]) but provides other explanations for the misalignment between existing TSE source scales and theoretical assumptions (see Morris, Usher, and Chen [<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref70">22</reflink>]). Previous studies have focused on overall TSE for classroom teaching though the current study indicates that the influence of each source on different TSE domains can vary. Classroom management and activities like dealing with parents were regarded as having no clear procedure to follow compared to instructional strategies, which reduced the influence of vicarious learning and highlighted the importance of mastery experience. This finding also aligns with Hoang and Wyatt ([<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref71">8</reflink>]) that Chinese teachers distinguish student management from instruction and student engagement.</p> <p>The current study extends the theoretical framework by finding that mastery experience is influential in various formats at different developmental stages. First, the practical components of teacher education programmes, including writing and speaking and teaching methods in pedagogical courses, were referred to by PSTs across all three times of interviews, especially before the placement. This aligns with Yurekli, Iksal-Bostan and Çakıroğlu ([<reflink idref="bib41" id="ref72">41</reflink>]) that pedagogical knowledge as a form of cognitive mastery experience is essential before the placement. Also, the present finding extends existing studies (Marschall and Watson [<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref73">19</reflink>]) on how cognitive mastery experience influences TSE by confirming the value participants placed on the procedure to conduct their teaching across the placement and the major session of their first teaching semester. They either referred to the procedural knowledge embedded in pedagogical courses, observing and replicating the teaching of the experienced teachers, or the structure of the teaching content, according to which to organise their teaching. This is consistent with Webb and LoFaro ([<reflink idref="bib36" id="ref74">36</reflink>]), who found the limited impacts of content knowledge on TSE and aligned with Authors (2022) who referred to such knowledge as a quasi-mastery experience. However, the current study failed to confirm the finding of Marschall and Watson ([<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref75">19</reflink>]), that content knowledge is influential for pre-service teachers' TSE during their initial placement. It could be because, in their study, the participants were unfamiliar with the high-school curriculum they were teaching whereas the current participants, especially those who taught Grades 1 and 2, felt safe answering questions raised by primary school students.</p> <p>Second, experiences associated with students received the most attention of participants throughout the study. This is partially aligned with Işıksal-Bostan ([<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref76">12</reflink>]) that TSE which developed before conducting teaching in realistic teaching contexts would be tested. However, the current study found participants tended to be cautious about their capability rather than unrealistically positive about their teaching. They actively sought out more authentic experiences, including teaching with students before the placement, taking more teaching responsibilities during the placement and valuing the outcomes of their teaching in the first semester. In other words, the lack of authentic experiences could have lowered their TSE (Bandura [<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref77">1</reflink>]). Also, Chinese teachers, as reported by previous studies (e.g. Ruan et al. [<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref78">29</reflink>]), tend to make a humble report on their capability and the emphasis on the challenges associated with students in the current study could explain why TSE for classroom management has been reported to be among the lowest in the existing studies (e.g. Rupp and Susann Becker [<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref79">30</reflink>]). It is the 'interruption' of students with unexpected questions and misbehaviours that could, in turn, influence TSE for instruction across the whole research period; in contrast, instructional strategies become easier once PSTs learn the procedural knowledge to implement them.</p> <p>Vicarious experience was the second frequently reported source. Participants emphasised the referring value during the placement of experienced teachers, including mentors, elite teachers who give classes online, and colleagues who present in regular teaching showcases in the first teaching semester. This aligns with Usher and Pajares ([<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref80">33</reflink>]) that individuals tend to base their capability judgement on referring to others before they accumulate sufficient mastery experience. It also resonates with Yada et al. ([<reflink idref="bib38" id="ref81">38</reflink>]) that the functioning of TSE sources is not separate and linear but might be influential in an interactive way. Participants relied on vicarious learning to enhance their capability instead of conducting comparisons with the observed subjects; however, this might not inform their judgements on capability (Barton and Dexter [<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref82">2</reflink>]), though it could enhance their TSE by making them feel more capable of completing the corresponding tasks which tended to be more workable with such learning (Webb and LoFaro [<reflink idref="bib36" id="ref83">36</reflink>]). This source becomes even more influential when participants integrate the positive behaviours and outcomes of experienced teachers with their own less satisfactory practice. This finding is contrary to Pfitzner-Eden ([<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref84">26</reflink>]) who reported that mentor teachers successfully accomplishing instruction encouraged PSTs to feel self-efficacious. It could be because her participants felt more self-efficacious, as their averaged TSE across three measurements was above 6.5 on a 9-point scale, whereas the present participants tended to be modest about their capability. This finding also indicates self-efficacy does not only work as an exogenous variable but could influence the interpretation of capability-related information and vice versa (Marschall and Watson [<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref85">19</reflink>]).</p> <p>Only the negative experiences of peers were reported in the current study, which made participants feel better about their own capability but failed to confirm the incapability of such a source in predicting TSE (van Rooij, Fokkens-Bruinsma, and Goedhart [<reflink idref="bib34" id="ref86">34</reflink>]). In addition, witnessing the failures of experienced teachers failed to encourage participants to feel positive about their own capability; instead, these were only reported as detrimental to their TSE. It might be because Chinese participants used external references to judge their capability, as indicated by Hoi et al. ([<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref87">9</reflink>]). Such integration between external standards and individual achievements is consistent with Phan and Locke ([<reflink idref="bib27" id="ref88">27</reflink>]) that Chinese teachers from a collectivist culture rely on the establishment of individual identity on external information.</p> <p>Neither social persuasion nor emotional states were reported frequently and the present study failed to confirm prior studies (e.g. Moradkhani and Haghi [<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref89">21</reflink>]; Yada et al. [<reflink idref="bib38" id="ref90">38</reflink>]) about the higher dependence of teachers from collectivist cultures on persuasive information. Instead, the current study found that experienced teachers were either reluctant to provide direct comments on their performance or not available to do so. This is more in line with Liang et al. ([<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref91">15</reflink>]), who proposed that individuals from Confucian cultures are not inclined to provide critical suggestions so as to maintain social harmony. Hence, experienced teachers tended to provide positive encouragement rather than criticism, which might reduce the trustworthiness of such persuasive information (e.g. Neugebauer, Hopkins, and Spillane [<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref92">23</reflink>]; Yurekli, Iksal-Bostan, and Çakıroğlu [<reflink idref="bib41" id="ref93">41</reflink>]). However, it is more likely that the participants reflected independently on the development of their capability, which could have truncated the effects of persuasive information and could be insinuated from their low TSE. This finding is consistent with the arguments for the necessity of low self-efficacy in improving one's reflection on teaching (Noben et al. [<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref94">24</reflink>]). For instance, the participants resisted exercising their authority to apply certain behaviours of experienced teachers, including punishments. This is only partially aligned with Liu et al. ([<reflink idref="bib16" id="ref95">16</reflink>]) who found that Chinese PSTs tended to be more teacher-centred and address their authoritative status in the face of students during placements. Feeling respected and trusted by mentors, such as being asked to teach occasionally for them, also increased the participants' TSE. This is aligned with Cheung ([<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref96">5</reflink>]) who suggested that indirect persuasive information is more influential as a form of social persuasion than verbal persuasion in Chinese contexts.</p> <p>Emotional states were less influential than the other three sources (Yada et al. [<reflink idref="bib38" id="ref97">38</reflink>]) and may not make an independent contribution to the formation of TSE (Poulou [<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref98">28</reflink>]). However, reports on emotions through the research period were less associated with changes in TSE directly, which could be due to the difficulties in using interviews to examine the mechanism between this source and TSE. Methods like reflective diaries (e.g. Marschall and Watson [<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref99">19</reflink>]) and quantitative methods (Yin, Han, and Perron [<reflink idref="bib39" id="ref100">39</reflink>]) could be more effective in detecting its influences. Also, the effects of this source are not linear (Morris, Usher, and Chen [<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref101">22</reflink>]) which increases the challenges of detecting it. Participants reported negative emotional states throughout the research period, especially when they anticipated the upcoming challenges, indicating the interaction between mastery experience and emotional states. In other words, the lack of mastery experience tended to bring uncertain emotions, which, in turn, prohibited participants from being positive about their capability. It might be that individuals are less likely to be positive about their capabilities in such states, due to the reduced sensitivity about the sources and action choices available for overcoming the challenges, as indicated by Yin et al. ([<reflink idref="bib40" id="ref102">40</reflink>]).</p> <hd id="AN0190931194-18">Conclusion</hd> <p>Certain implications could be drawn from the current study. First, measures including preliminary school visits and administration support should be provided to assist both PSTs and first-year teachers in tackling the pressures that can occur during the placement and start of the career. Second, the practicing opportunities for PSTs should establish strong relationships between schools and teacher education programmes. Third, the practical component of such programmes should enhance subject-specific pedagogies, foundational teaching skills, and introduction to school teaching to assist PSTs in feeling competent as effective teachers. Fourth, PSTs and first-year teachers should observe the teaching of experienced teachers and engage in professional discussions with them. Fifth, verbal persuasion should be used sparingly and indirect persuasion through showing trust could be a better choice for early-career teachers. Sixth, the four sources of self-efficacy could provide a solid foundation for measuring TSE sources, while caution shall be paid to the different formats and statuses with which they function across different career stages.</p> <p>The study has certain limitations. Although participants reflected on their TSE for both classroom teaching and school-level activities, the reports were mainly based on their reflection on the former due to less experience with the latter. Interviewees were only from one initial teacher education programme at a single university, though they represented different TSE changing trajectories as indicated in the quantitative data. Two interviewees withdrew from the study in Phase 3, so it is unclear whether differences exist between the maintained participants and those who withdrew. In addition, the implications for other contexts suggested in the study might be limited, considering the TSE differences that exist across cultures. Future research could benefit by tracking a larger sample of interviewees for a longer time in more diversified cultural contexts. Despite these limitations, the current study provides initial and longitudinal evidence on TSE sources in Chinese contexts and potential strategies for cultivating robust TSE throughout the early career stages covered in the study.</p> <hd id="AN0190931194-19">Disclosure statement</hd> <p>No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).</p> <ref id="AN0190931194-20"> <title> Notes </title> <blist> <bibl id="bib1" idref="ref3" type="bt">1</bibl> <bibtext> <emph>Jiaoyan</emph> is a typical obligated practice of researching on teaching at schools in China and led by a director who has achieved outstanding accomplishments in his/her teaching subject.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib2" idref="ref26" type="bt">2</bibl> <bibtext> <emph>Banzhuren</emph> refers to subject teachers who oversee students' daily management other than teaching.</bibtext> </blist> </ref> <ref id="AN0190931194-21"> <title> References </title> <blist> <bibtext> Bandura, A. 1997. 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" Factors Influencing Teacher Self-Efficacy for Inclusive Education: A Systematic Literature Review." Teaching and Teacher Education 117 : 117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2022.103800.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Yada, A., A. Tolvanen, O. Pekka Malinen, K. Imai-Matsumura, H. Shimada, R. Koike, and H. Savolainen. 2019. " Teachers' Self-Efficacy and the Sources of Efficacy: A Cross-Cultural Investigation in Japan and Finland." Teaching and Teacher Education 81 : 13 – 24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2019.01.014.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Yin, H., J. Han, and B. E. Perron. 2020. " Why are Chinese University Teachers (Not) Confident in Their Competence to Teach? The Relationships Between Faculty-Perceived Stress and Self-Efficacy." International Journal of Educational Research 100 : 101529. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2019.101529.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Yin, H., W. W. Y. Tam, and E. Lau. 2022. " Examining the Relationships Between Teachers' Affective States, Self-Efficacy, and Teacher-Child Relationships in Kindergartens: An Integration of Social Cognitive Theory and Positive Psychology." Studies in Educational Evaluation 74 : 101188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stueduc.2022.101188.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Yurekli, B., M. Iksal-Bostan, and E. Çakıroğlu. 2020. " Sources of Pre-Service Teachers' Self-Efficacy in the Context of a Mathematics Teaching Methods Course." Journal of Education for Teaching 46 (5): 631 – 645. https://doi.org/10.1080/02607476.2020.1777068.</bibtext> </blist> </ref> <aug> <p>By Kang Ma and Michael Cavanagh</p> <p>Reported by Author; Author</p> <p></p> <p>Kang Ma , PhD, is a lecturer at Yancheng Teachers University. He is interested in initial teacher education and his current work focuses on teachers' self-efficacy.</p> <p>Michael Cavanagh is the director of the secondary teacher education program and a lecturer in mathematics education in the School of Education, Macquarie University, Australia; email: michael.cavanagh@mq.edu.au. His research focuses on teacher education, especially initial teacher professional development during the teaching professional placement, and mathematics education.</p> </aug> <nolink nlid="nl1" bibid="bib25" firstref="ref1"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl2" bibid="bib31" firstref="ref2"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl3" bibid="bib12" firstref="ref5"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl4" bibid="bib37" firstref="ref7"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl5" bibid="bib38" firstref="ref8"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl6" bibid="bib18" firstref="ref11"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl7" bibid="bib32" firstref="ref13"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl8" bibid="bib41" firstref="ref15"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl9" bibid="bib19" firstref="ref16"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl10" bibid="bib36" firstref="ref17"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl11" bibid="bib30" firstref="ref19"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl12" bibid="bib24" firstref="ref20"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl13" bibid="bib34" firstref="ref24"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl14" bibid="bib20" firstref="ref28"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl15" bibid="bib21" firstref="ref32"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl16" bibid="bib28" firstref="ref34"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl17" bibid="bib39" firstref="ref35"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl18" bibid="bib22" firstref="ref36"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl19" bibid="bib40" firstref="ref37"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl20" bibid="bib14" firstref="ref40"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl21" bibid="bib11" firstref="ref43"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl22" bibid="bib35" firstref="ref44"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl23" bibid="bib29" firstref="ref45"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl24" bibid="bib10" firstref="ref47"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl25" bibid="bib13" firstref="ref51"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl26" bibid="bib27" firstref="ref53"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl27" bibid="bib15" firstref="ref56"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl28" bibid="bib17" firstref="ref63"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl29" bibid="bib33" firstref="ref80"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl30" bibid="bib26" firstref="ref84"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl31" bibid="bib23" firstref="ref92"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl32" bibid="bib16" firstref="ref95"></nolink>
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Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: A Longitudinal Inquiry of Sources of Teacher Self-Efficacy: From the Professional Experience into the First Year of Teaching
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kang+Ma%22">Kang Ma</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2600-7150">0000-0002-2600-7150</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Michael+Cavanagh%22">Michael Cavanagh</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6537-4447">0000-0002-6537-4447</externalLink>)
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  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22European+Journal+of+Teacher+Education%22"><i>European Journal of Teacher Education</i></searchLink>. 2026 49(1):152-167.
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  Label: Availability
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  Data: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 16
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Preservice+Teachers%22">Preservice Teachers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Beginning+Teachers%22">Beginning Teachers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Self+Efficacy%22">Self Efficacy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Longitudinal+Studies%22">Longitudinal Studies</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teaching+Experience%22">Teaching Experience</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cultural+Influences%22">Cultural Influences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Placement%22">Teacher Placement</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22China%22">China</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1080/02619768.2024.2311695
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 0261-9768<br />1469-5928
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: The cultivation of robust teacher self-efficacy (TSE) has been regarded as essential in the early career stages; however, little is known about its sources and changing mechanisms during such a period, especially in the Chinese context. The study utilised a longitudinal qualitative method, interviewing participants (n = 6) at the beginning and completion of their professional experience and the end of the first teaching semester. The results indicate mastery experience and vicarious experience were the most reported sources, whereas neither social persuasion nor physiological and emotional states were valued. Variations in the effects and cultural specificity of the sources were apparent. Implications and limitations are discussed.
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  Label: Abstractor
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  Data: As Provided
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  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
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  Data: EJ1503198
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1503198
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      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1080/02619768.2024.2311695
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 16
        StartPage: 152
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Preservice Teachers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Beginning Teachers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Self Efficacy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Longitudinal Studies
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Teaching Experience
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Cultural Influences
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Teacher Placement
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: China
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: A Longitudinal Inquiry of Sources of Teacher Self-Efficacy: From the Professional Experience into the First Year of Teaching
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            NameFull: Kang Ma
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            NameFull: Michael Cavanagh
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            – D: 01
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              Type: published
              Y: 2026
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