Relationships between cooperative learning, learning motivation, learning engagement, and teaching self-efficacy in pre-service teachers

Research suggests that learning contexts and personal qualities are associated with pre-service teachers’ teaching self-efficacy. However, the underlying mechanisms linking cooperative learning climates to teaching self-efficacy are not yet well-understood. This study investigated the relationship between cooperative learning, learning motivation (i.e., intrinsic and extrinsic), learning engagement (i.e., affective, behavioural, and cognitive), and teaching self-efficacy, and further tested the mediating roles of learning motivation and learning engagement. Participants were 498 second-year pre-service secondary teachers at six Cambodian regional teacher training institutions. Structural equation analyses revealed that cooperative learning, intrinsic motivation, and the three aspects of learning engagement were positively associated with teaching self-efficacy. However, mediation analysis indicated that only intrinsic motivation and behavioural and cognitive engagement mediated the link between cooperative learning and teaching self-efficacy. This research confirms existing literature and extends the understanding of the psychological mechanisms by which cooperative learning is related to teaching self-efficacy in pre-service teachers.