How Self-Efficacy Beliefs Shape Learning Preferences: Pre-Service Preschool Teachers’ Learning With Online Teaching Video Cases / Cómo las creencias de autoeficacia influyen en las preferencias de aprendizaje: aprendizaje de fu

Self-efficacy beliefs are essential for pre-service preschool teachers (PPTs) to navigate their future teaching challenges. While teacher educators often use online teaching video cases (OTVCs) to provide authentic classroom scenarios, there is limited research on how PPTs’ self-efficacy levels shape their specific learning preferences. This study investigated the learning preferences of 744 PPTs regarding their demands for OTVC content, use scenarios, facilitators, and targeted developmental dimensions, comparing differences across low, medium, and high self-efficacy groups. The results revealed significant disparities. Teachers with high self-efficacy prioritized autonomous, peer-collaborated learning using modeled videos to refine holistic teaching competencies and classroom management. In contrast, teachers with medium and low self-efficacy preferred structured, expert-guided video case studies focused on mastering foundational knowledge and skills, reflecting a greater need for external scaffolding. These findings echo Bandura’s self-efficacy theory and demonstrate that belief systems influence learning preferences. Teacher preparation programs should move beyond a one-size-fits-all model and tailor OTVC design to PPTs’ self-efficacy levels, adopting psychologically informed strategies to ensure equitable and impactful learning for future educators.