Relationships Among Possible Selves, Motivations And Self-Efficacy Beliefs Of Senior Student Teachers Of English

Abstract

The purpose of the current study was twofold. The study primarily aimed to develop a possible language teacher selves scale (PLTSS) and a motivation for teaching English scale (MTES) for senior English as a foreign language (EFL) student teachers. It also aimed to explore the relationships among their possible language teacher selves, motivations for teaching English and self-efficacy beliefs. To do this, a multiphase mixed methods study was designed and conducted in a total of four phases with distinct samples of senior Turkish EFL student teachers studying at twelve different universities in Turkey. Data were collected through a composite survey form with scales on each matter of issue, written forms and interviews. While the quantitative data were analyzed statistically, qualitative data were subjected to content analysis. Findings revealed sound psychometric properties of the PLTSS and the MTES. Student teachers of English were found to have highly developed and clearly-structured ideal, ought-to and feared language teacher selves as well as high levels of autonomous motivation and self-efficacy, and a moderate level of controlled motivation for teaching English. A path analysis of these constructs highlighted that ideal and ought-to language teacher selves were strongly and positively associated with one another. Stronger ought-to selves predicted greater controlled motivation for teaching English, which predicted greater autonomous motivation in turn. In a similar vein, stronger ideal selves predicted greater autonomous motivation for teaching English, and increased autonomous motivation predicted higher levels of self-efficacy. Therefore, the results underscored the overarching impact of student teachers’ possible selves.