Turkish Pre-Service Teachers ` Perceived Self-Efficacy Beliefs and Knowledge about Using Expository Text as an Instructional Tool in Their Future Classroom Settings

Abstract: The aim of this research was to examine Turkish pre-service teachers ` knowledge and perceived self-efficacy beliefs toward using expository text as an instructional tool in their future classroom settings. The research sample were 346 pre-service teachers who studied in different teacher preparation programs which included elementary classroom and middle content classrooms (for example, science, social studies and Turkish language arts) teaching professions. A teacher efficacy inventory and a knowledge test about using expository text were developed and administered to the pre-service teachers in a public university in Turkey. The research findings showed that there was a small but positive correlation between the pre-service teachers ` self-efficacy beliefs scores and the knowledge test scores in spite of the small correlation coefficient between the two variables. In addition, the pre-service teachers rated their self-efficacy beliefs as efficacious in using expository texts in their future classrooms. They also identifie