Pre-service and in-service EFL teachers' epistemological beliefs, teaching-learning conceptions and sense of self-efficacy

Study of beliefs has gained great importance since teachers' beliefs affect different things related to teaching and learning. Among the study of beliefs, investigating epistemological beliefs have aroused interest since the late 1990s because such studies provide one lens through which the teaching-learning process in teacher education can be viewed. Teachers' teaching-learning conceptions and their sense of self-efficacy are considered to be among the important constructs which can be affected from each other and their epistemological beliefs. Therefore, teachers' epistemological beliefs, teaching-learning conceptions and sense of self-efficacy should be investigated since they are directly related to the effectiveness of teaching. In this regard, this current study aims to investigate pre-service and in-service EFL teachers' epistemological beliefs, teaching-learning conceptions and sense of self-efficacy. A mixed method research design was utilized to conduct the study. Quantitative data were collected through the Turkish versions of Epistemological Beliefs Questionnaire, Teaching and Learning Conceptions Questionnaire, Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale from 374 4th grader pre-service teachers studying ELT in state universities and 192 in-service teachers working at state schools. Qualitative data were collected through open-response questions form 42 pre-service and 19 in-service teachers who were volunteer to answer the questions. Descriptive statistical techniques, Pearson correlation analysis, regression analysis, t test and content analysis was used in order to analyse the data. Findings of the study revealed that both pre-service and in-service teachers had relatively more sophisticated beliefs in the learning process/expert knowledge and learning effort dimensions of epistemological beliefs. Both groups adopted the constructivist conception more than the traditional conception, and they felt efficacious in instructional strategies, student engagement and classroom management respectively. The results showed that there was a relationship among pre-service and in-service EFL teachers' epistemological beliefs, teaching-learning conceptions and sense of self-efficacy. Some dimensions of epistemological beliefs made significant contributions to pre-service and in-service EFL teachers' constructivist conception and sense of self-efficacy. Besides this, the constructivist conception made a significant contribution to EFL pre-service and in-service teachers' efficacy for classroom management, student engagement and instructional strategies. The results also showed that in-service teachers believed in innate-fixed ability and certainty knowledge more than pre-service teachers. While pre-service teachers adopted constructivist conception more than in-service teachers, in-service teachers adopted constructivist conception more than pre-service teachers. In addition, in-service teachers felt more efficacious than pre-service teachers on classroom management and instructional strategies. Considering the research process and its results, several implications and suggestions were formulated for the main stakeholders of language teacher education.