The mediating role of academic self-efficacy in the effect of pre-service teachers' concerns about unemployment on their achievement orientation

In this study, the mediating role of self-efficacy in the relationship between pre-service teachers' appointment anxiety and their achievement orientations was examined. In the literature, self-efficacy is defined as an individual's belief in their ability to perform the behaviors necessary to achieve a specific goal. Appointment anxiety, on the other hand, is considered a psychological state arising from the uncertainties and competition experienced by pre-service teachers during the transition to professional life. Achievement orientation reflects a key variable that represents individuals' motivation and strategies in the pursuit of their goals. While previous studies have mostly explored these variables through bilateral relationships, the interaction between appointment anxiety and self-efficacy—particularly within the context of mediation—has received relatively little attention. This study analyzed the relationship between pre-service teachers' appointment anxiety and achievement orientations through the lens of self-efficacy. The study group consisted of 170 pre-service teachers enrolled in various departments of the Faculty of Education at Bülent Ecevit University, including both first-year and fourth-year students. The research was conducted using a quantitative design, and data were collected through scales measuring appointment anxiety, achievement orientations, and academic self-efficacy. During the analysis phase, descriptive statistics, t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation analysis, and structural equation modeling (SEM) were employed. The findings revealed that as pre-service teachers' self-efficacy levels increased, their achievement orientations also significantly increased, while their appointment anxiety levels decreased. However, the results of the structural equation model indicated that self-efficacy played a partial, rather than full, mediating role in the relationship between achievement orientation and appointment anxiety. In other words, the direct effect of achievement orientation on appointment anxiety remained significant even after accounting for self-efficacy. This finding suggests that while self-efficacy plays an influential role in managing professional anxiety, its effect operates in conjunction with achievement orientation. The study highlights that enhancing self-efficacy in teacher education programs can make significant contributions to both motivation and anxiety management.