Exploring self-efficacy beliefs within the context of teachingmathematicswithconcretemodels

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate pre-service mathematics teachers’ self-efficacybeliefs about using concrete models in teaching mathematics. Participants were 31 junior pre-servicemiddle school mathematics teachers. Six instructional sessions based on using concrete models werecarried out during a three week period. Data were collected by a survey on pre-service teachers’ efficacybeliefs about using concrete models and semi-structured interviews. Data analysis demonstrated that theinstruction 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 modelsboth as learners and as teachers. Moreover, they believed that using concrete models would have positiveconsequences in teaching process and students’ learning. However, pre-service teachers had relativelylow efficacies about classroom management.