Pre-service teachers' teacher efficacy beliefs and the perceived relationship with their university supervisor

The purpose of this study was to investigate the levels of teacher efficacy reported by student teachers upon completion of the student teaching experience and to better understand the perceptions held by the student teachers regarding the roles the university supervisor played. The roles played by the supervisor focused on the levels of support and challenge. These two concepts (levels of support and challenge) refer to the types of actions of the university supervisor which either affirms the actions of the preservice teacher or identifies an area in which the preservice teacher needs to improve. The perceptions held by the student teachers were examined along with the reported beliefs about teacher efficacy to determine if any correlations existed. The information from the students teachers was obtained at the completion of the student teaching experience using online surveys. The surveys were completed by 121 student teachers. This resulted in a 27% response rate. The relationship between the preservice teachers' beliefs of efficacy and their perception of their university supervisors was studied. Data analysis established that there was no statistical significance or relationship with beliefs of efficacy and either levels of support or challenge. Since there was no statistically significant relationship between support and efficacy or challenge and efficacy, an ideal combination of levels of support and challenge to result in a maximum level of efficacy beliefs cannot be established from the regression model.