The development of student teachers’ teacher self-efficacy before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

This study used latent growth curve models to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the development of teacher self-efficacy in student teachers. Results indicate that the teacher self-efficacy of student teachers taught during the first COVID-19 lockdown increased significantly less across a semester compared to student teachers taught prior to the pandemic, who gained practical experience in schools. There may be a cohort of student teachers at risk of entering the profession with lower self-efficacy than is typical. Universities and schools may wish to provide additional practical experiences to compensate for the missed opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic.