PERCEPTIONS OF PRE-SERVICE AGRI-BUSINESS TEACHERS ON THE SUPPORT, TEACHER PREPARATION QUALITY, AND STUDENT TEACHING EXPERIENCE RELATED TO TEACHER EFFICACY

Abstract

The multiple regression study analyzed the percent of variance in teacher efficacy of 106 student teachers
and novice teachers in the Bachelor of Science (Agricultural Education and Extension) degree
programme in the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Nairobi, explained by selected variables related to
perceived support (utilizing a mentor, supportive principal behaviours, collective efficacy), teacher
preparation quality, and student teaching experiences. Collective efficacy, perceived teacher preparation
quality, and perceived student teaching experience explained the variance in teaching efficacy over the
Teaching Practice phase of the fourth year of the programme. Although utilizing a mentor and supportive
principal behaviours were eliminated from the model, perhaps these variables were not perceived as
being as important as collective efficacy, perceived teacher preparation quality, and perceived student
teaching experience during the fourteen weeks of the teaching practice phase of the fourth year.
Key words: Agri-business; teacher education; teacher efficacy.