Perceived Teaching Problems, Self-Efficacy, and Commitment to Teaching among Preservice Teachers

This study compared the perceived teaching problems of preservice elementary and secondary teachers of both sexes with the perceived teaching problems of beginning teachers in the 83 studies reviewed by Veenman (1984). Results indicate that the rank order of teaching problems of preservice and beginning teachers are dissimilar. Beginning teachers stress problems with classroom discipline, assessing student work, and relationships with parents, whereas preservice teachers stress problems with subject matter. Both groups, however, shared strong concern about motivating students. Elementary and secondary preservice teachers differed on some of the rankings of problem seriousness. Meaningful relationships between preservice teachers’ total levels of concern for problems and their scores on measures of teacher efficacy and commitment to teaching were not observed. Implications for teacher education are discussed