Performance on classroom simulations enhances preservice teachers’ motivation in teaching: a latent change perspective

Journal article

Background: Preparing preservice teachers for teaching placements and future careers is crucial. However, their motivation often fluctuates as they gain experience and receive feedback from influential sources. While previous studies have examined changes in preservice teachers’ motivation over time, there has been little research on how this motivation varies in relation to performance during simulations.

Aims: We explored how performance on a series of classroom simulation sessions predict preservice teachers’ self-efficacy, career intentions, and perceived fit with the profession, after controlling for the baseline levels.

Sample: Participants were 1,411 preservice teachers from an undergraduate teacher education programme in Australia (M = 20.27 years, SD = 4.54).

Methods: Data were collected from students enrolled in an introduction to teaching course in a 4-year teacher education programme. Participants completed three classroom simulation sessions spaced over a three-week period. We used latent change structural equation modelling to test the effects of performance on classroom simulations on preservice teachers’ self-efficacy, career intentions, and perceived person-vocation fit.

Results: The level of performance on classroom simulations significantly predicted changes in selfefficacy and person-vocation fit (but not career intentions), even after controlling for baseline levels of the constructs, as well as gender and age. Moreover, the change in teaching selfefficacy was progressively more pronounced after the second and the third classroom simulation sessions. Finally, both age and gender were found to be associated with preservice teachers’ motivation to teach.

Conclusions: The implications for practice are that preservice teacher motivation may respond well to regular, repeated teaching-related simulations.

Authors: Wang, H; Thompson-Lee, S; Klassen, RM

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Wiley
• Journal: British Journal of Educational Psychology
• Volume: 95
• Issue: S1
• Pages: S239-S255
• Publication date: 2025-03-04
• Acceptance date: 2025-02-20
• DOI: 10.1111/bjep.12761
• EISSN: 2044-8279
• ISSN: 0007-0998
• Language: English
• Keywords: self efficacy; classroom simulation performance; career intentions; preservice teachers; motivation in teaching; person-vocation fit