Changes in beginning teachers’ sense of efficacy in classroom management: a one-year follow-up study

Having a high sense of efficacy is important for beginning teachers, yet little is known about its trajectory from pre to in-service teaching. This study measured the classroom management sense of efficacy of 187 Australian primary teachers at the completion of pre-service training, and one year on. Collectively, their sense of efficacy as classroom managers remained stable and quite high. Greater teaching experience and continuity of tenure were related to a higher sense of efficacy in classroom management. Additionally, completing pre-service units in classroom behaviour management was not significantly related to higher classroom management sense of efficacy scores. The implications of the findings for teacher education are discussed.