Exploring Self-Efficacy of Primary and Special Education Pre-Service Teachers in Teaching Real-World Problems and Modelling

This study examines pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy in teaching real-world problems and mathematical modelling. Using a quantitative design, it investigates variation in self-efficacy between primary and special education pre-service teachers across different competence facets. The findings reveal a differentiated, domain-specific pattern of self-efficacy rather than uniform differences between groups. Special education pre-service teachers reported higher self-efficacy in pedagogical content knowledge and task design and differentiation, whereas no significant differences emerged for situation-specific skills and instructional design and enactment. The study contributes to a more differentiated understanding of modelling-related self-efficacy by showing that domain specificity may also operate within a specific area of mathematics teaching. It highlights the relevance of considering different competence facets in teacher education for inclusive mathematics classrooms.