| This study compared American preservice teachers' teaching self-efficacy beliefs with those of their Chinese counterparts. More specifically, three areas were explored: (1) participants' motivations to become teachers, (2) their perceptions about professional characteristics, and (3) their teaching self-efficacy beliefs about content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and classroom management.; The study was conducted in two comprehensive universities: one in the United States and the other in China. One hundred and ninety-one American and 125 Chinese preservice teachers participated in both the Pre- and the Post-Student Teaching Surveys. Responses from a total of 279 pre and post surveys were matched. Fourteen participants (7 Americans and 7 Chinese) participated in the in-depth interviews.; Surveys have resulted in three types concerning motives for becoming teachers: (1) Chinese preservice teachers prefer social position and financial compensation, (2) American preservice teachers emphasize more about personal interest and self-growth, and (3) both American and Chinese preservice teachers perceived job security, family influence, and summer /winter vacations as similarly important to their choices. Mean scores of teaching self-efficacy beliefs increased by 4.853 after student teaching.; In-depth interviews have revealed three patterns: (1) teachers are perceived or are beginning to be perceived highly in both cultures, (2) teachers are not perceived as highly as they should be, and (3) there still exist some bias against primary teachers.; Suggestions have been made for teacher education programs and teacher educators in the two countries, and for future researchers to further look at preservice teachers' teaching self-efficacy beliefs. |
