Grounded in Social Cognitive Theory, this study explores how interpersonal interactions shape the belief formation of Chinese pre-service English teachers, with particular attention to the mediating role of self-efficacy. Situated within China's hierarchical and collectivist educational context, this study examines how two key forms of interaction-those with mentors and with students-influence the development of teaching beliefs among 368 senior-year pre-service teachers. Results from structural equation modeling revealed that both teacher-mentor and teacher-student interactions significantly and positively predicted teacher beliefs, with the latter exerting a stronger direct influence. Importantly, self-efficacy emerged as a significant mediator in both relationships, explaining a larger portion of the indirect effect in the mentor pathway. These findings suggest that while direct engagement with students powerfully shapes teachers' belief systems, the impact of mentors primarily operates through the enhancement of teaching confidence, reflecting the cultural salience of authoritative guidance in the Chinese context. The study highlights the importance of integrating efficacy-based mentoring and authentic teaching experiences in teacher education programs to foster the development of coherent and resilient teacher belief systems.
HU et al. (2026) studied this question.