Do Diverse Field Placements Matter? Examining Pre‐Service Elementary Teachers' Self‐Efficacy Related to Equitable Science Education

This study investigates the relationship between pre‐service elementary teachers' (PSETs) self‐efficacy in equitable science teaching and the demographic characteristics of their field placement settings. While extensive research exists on fostering PSETs' general science teaching self‐efficacy, there is limited understanding of how field placements in diverse educational settings influence PSETs' self‐efficacy regarding equitable science instruction. Using the Self‐Efficacy Beliefs About Equitable Science Teaching (SEBEST) survey, this research explores the associations between the demographics of field placement schools—including percentages of historically marginalized students, students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, English language learners (ELL), and female students—and PSETs' personal self‐efficacy and outcome expectancy related to equitable science education. The study reveals that White PSETs experience significant increases in personal self‐efficacy when placed in diverse educational contexts, though changes in outcome expectancy are less pronounced. These findings underscore the importance of diverse placements in enhancing PSETs' self‐efficacy in teaching science equitably, particularly for White PSETs, and suggest the need for further research on the long‐term impacts of such placements on outcome expectancy.