Pre-service TEFL teachers’ instructional practice and its relation to academic self-concept

Teacher quality and teaching effectiveness as consequences of teacher professional development hinge on teachers’ professional knowledge, professional beliefs and skills which affect instructional practice of teachers and student learning. The present study sets out to probe the relationship between academic self-concept and self-reported instructional practice among pre-service TEFL teachers in Iran. Developed and validated through the Rasch model, two questionnaires were utilized in this study. The results indicated that there is a significant positive relationship between academic self-concept and instructional practice at the general and more differentiated levels. Furthermore, academic self-concept was found to affect teacher candidates’ teaching practices. The obtained findings highlighted the significance of academic self-concept and its inclusion in teacher preparation programs.