A Mixed-Methods Study of Pre-service Educators’ Development of Teacher Self-Efficacy & Teaching Readiness: Do Educator Preparation Program Types Matter?
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Authors
Ocasio, Jessica G.
Issue Date
2026-05-08
Type
Language
en_US
Keywords
pre-service teacher , teacher self-efficacy , readiness to teach , self-efficacy theory , alternate route to certification , pathways to certification , traditional pathway , educator preparation program , teacher development
Alternative Title
Abstract
Alternate Route to Certification Programs (ARC) have been growing in the United States since the 1980s due to the ongoing teacher shortages nationwide. Alternative certification programs typically consist of a shorter duration of content taught and the absence of student-teacher practicums. In essence, teacher candidates enrolled in an ARC program can become full-time teachers after as little as a few weeks of pre-service training (Kee, 2012). In comparison, traditional educator preparation programs (TPP) include the combination of undergraduate or graduate prerequisite courses and one to two years of training prior to receiving certification and entering a classroom as a full-time teacher. The vastly different training requirements of the two types of programs could have implications for teachers' readiness to enter a classroom and overall teacher self-efficacy.
The purpose of this convergent mixed-methods study was to compare pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy, content knowledge, and perceptions of their teacher preparation program’s contributions to overall readiness to teach and development of instructional teaching practices of pre-service educators who completed an accelerated ARC or an TPP. Through administering the Likert-type Teacher Sense of Self-Efficacy (TSES) rating scale and an open-ended questionnaire, the researcher sought to understand and compare a traditional master's level university TPP and ARC program pre-service educators' self-reported teacher self-efficacy levels, content knowledge, and perceptions of program’s influence in their development of readiness to teach. Results found no statistically significant difference between ARC or TPP pre-service teachers. The pre-service teacher groups also believed that their programs positively influenced their readiness to teach and overall teaching practices.