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May 2026 Assessing Pre-Service EFL TeachersAo Teaching Anxiety and Self-Efficacy during the Teaching Practicum: A Correlational Study Diva Izzatul Islami*.
Nunung Suryati English Department.
Faculty of Letters.
Universitas Negeri Malang.
Indonesia 2202216@students.
id, nunung.
fs@um.
*corresponding author Article History Received: 22 December 2025 Reviewed: 05 May 2026 Accepted: 22 May 2026 Published: 31 May 2026 Keywords: pre-service EFL teachers, self-efficacy, teaching anxiety, teaching Abstract: The teaching practicum is a crucial phase for preservice EFL teachers to shape their confidence and readiness to teach in the classroom.
However, teaching anxiety often arises during this stage and may affect teachersAo self-efficacy.
Although previous studies have examined these factors separately, limited research has explored their relationship in the Indonesian EFL This quantitative correlational study examines the relationship between teaching anxiety and self-confidence among 59 pre-service EFL teachers who had completed 4 months of teaching practice at schools, drawn from English Department students at a public university in Malang City.
Indonesia.
Data were collected using the adapted Foreign Language Teaching Anxiety Scale (FLTAS) and the TeachersAo Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES), and analyzed using descriptive statistics and PearsonAos correlation in SPSS 27.
The results show a pattern of teaching anxiety arising from several aspects and moderate beliefs about teachersAo self-efficacy.
There is a significant weak negative correlation between teaching anxiety and self-efficacy .
= -0.
287, p = .
, indicating that anxious teachers are less confident in their belief that they are competent in this area.
This relationship shows that emotional challenges during teaching practice can undermine pre-service EFL teachersAo teaching confidence, underscoring the importance of teacher education programs in providing support during teaching practice and in offering anxiety management strategies.
INTRODUCTION
The teaching practicum is an important stage of English teacher preparation, especially for students majoring in education at universities, as it offers pre-service teachers the opportunity to connect theoretical knowledge with real teaching practice.
It provides them with opportunities to build teaching competence, confidence, and professional identity through real teaching experience.
Pre-service teachers benefit from the teaching practicum because they can gain new experiences in a real setting, rehearse and perform what they have learned in school.
Islami.
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Assessing Pre-Service EFL TeachersAo Teaching Anxiety and Self-Efficacy during the Teaching Practicum: A Correlational Study | 2 and connect it with theory (Nemtchinova, 2.
In Indonesia, the teaching practicum is formally regulated under Permendikbudristek No.
55 of 2023, which mandates that undergraduate students who are in the 6th-7th semester doing their field-based learning such as teaching practicum for educational study programs to complete a minimum of one semester or 20 credits of field practice in a relevant professional setting, serving as a bridge between academic preparation and real classroom responsibilities, reinforcing the governmentAos commitment to producing pedagogically competent EFL teachers aligned with the demands of the Merdeka Curriculum (MoECRT, 2023.
Miftah et al.
, 2.
This phase is emotionally demanding because most pre-service teachers struggle with classroom management.
English as a medium of instruction, and fulfilling their teaching duties (Nugroho, 2.
In Indonesia, where English is a foreign language taught in schools, pre-service teachers often receive limited exposure and experience, so the practicum component of their teacher preparation is both stressful and useful (Charisma & Nurmalasari, 2.
Understanding the psychological factors that influence their teaching performance, such as anxiety and self-efficacy, is therefore important to a supportive and effective practicum experience.
Teachers and pre-service teachers often use the term Auteaching anxiety,Ay which already exists in theories and is based on real-life situations.
therefore, it indeed occurs in teaching Teaching anxiety is defined as tension, worry, and fearfulness provoked by performing teaching-related tasks, such as delivering lessons, managing the classroom, and using language (Horwitz et al.
, 1.
The causes of teaching anxiety are multifaceted and are commonly rooted in insufficient teaching experience, perceived low language proficiency, fear of negative evaluation from students or supervisors, and difficulties in managing classroom dynamics (Aydin, 2016.
Gannoun & Deris, 2023.
Mery, 2.
It is a common affective experience among teachers, particularly pre-service EFL teachers, as they are developing their teaching skills and confidence.
In the Indonesian context, research has shown that pre-service teachers typically experience inexperience, low self-assessment of language proficiency, fear of negative judgment, and poor time management (Sari & Anwar, 2.
Such emotional problems might impact teaching performance, communication, and even classroom climate.
Teaching anxiety may affect studentsAo language communication in class, as teaching apprehension is linked to instructorsAo beliefs about their ability to perform effectively.
Investigating this connection to self-efficacy is central to a fuller understanding of teacher growth during the practicum.
3 | ELE Reviews: English Language Education Reviews, 6.
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May 2026 Self-efficacy, as defined by Bandura .
, refers to an individualAos belief in their ability to organize and execute actions required to achieve desired performance.
In teaching, self-efficacy has the potential to impact how teachers plan lessons, manage students, and respond to obstacles.
Research has shown that high self-efficacious instructors are more durable, assertive, and efficient in addressing classroom problems (Nugroho, 2.
Preservice EFL teachers have the opportunity to build self-efficacy for teaching through real experience and mentor critique from the practicum (Megawati & Astutik, 2.
Although factors such as mentoring quality, language proficiency, and classroom management also influence practicum experiences, this study focuses on teaching anxiety and self-efficacy as they represent the core psychological constructs that underlie how pre-service teachers perceive and respond to these broader challenges (Bandura, 1997.
Mery, 2.
Narrowing the focus to these two constructs allows for a more methodologically coherent analysis in a context where empirical evidence on their relationship in the Indonesian EFL practicum remains However, when faced with real classroom teaching experience, emotional states such as anxiety can arise and affect teachersAo self-efficacy, teachersAo confidence, and teaching performance, especially in challenging or new settings (Hoang, 2018.
Mehmood, 2019.
Permatasari et al.
, 2019.
Sayow et al.
, 2.
Previous studies have shown that teaching anxiety and self-efficacy are two important psychological aspects influencing pre-service teachersAo performance during teaching practice.
A study on self-efficacy and anxiety has already been conducted, but the context is the ELT students from a state university (Doan, 2.
However, this study examines university students as the pre-service EFL teachers.
Several studies found that students, as pre-service EFL teachers, often experienced high anxiety when teaching English in the classroom, particularly due to their teaching inexperience, fear of negative evaluation, and perceived low language proficiency (Alrashidi, 2022.
Li.
Xie, & Zeng, 2023.
Sari & Anwar, 2.
Similarly.
Permatasari et al.
reported that Indonesian pre-service teachers commonly experienced anxiety when managing the classroom and using English, which affected their teaching In contrast.
Tutyandari .
found that pre-service teachers in Indonesia exhibit varying self-efficacy across teaching tasks, which is shaped by their confidence in English proficiency and classroom performance.
Meanwhile, research has emphasized that reflective teaching practices and the facilitation of mentoring experiences can help improve teachersAo self-efficacy (Hoang & Wyatt, 2.
Despite these insights, research combining both Islami.
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Assessing Pre-Service EFL TeachersAo Teaching Anxiety and Self-Efficacy during the Teaching Practicum: A Correlational Study | 4 constructs, teaching anxiety and self-efficacy within the Indonesian EFL practicum context, remains limited.
In support of these findings, there is a moderate negative correlation between teaching anxiety and self-efficacy among Turkish pre-service EFL teachers, which shows that the higher the confidence, the lower the anxiety levels.
Mery .
conducted a similar study in the Turkish context.
Despite these findings, limited research in Indonesia has examined this relationship among pre-service EFL teachers during their practicum at the secondary school level, where teaching anxiety driven by inexperience, fear of evaluation, and low language confidence and self-efficacy reflected in instructional, disciplinary, and classroom climate beliefs interact dynamically, representing a gap this study aims to address.
This study aims to examine the relationship between teaching anxiety and self-efficacy among pre-service EFL teachers during their teaching practicum.
Understanding how these two factors interact is crucial, as both may influence the learning process, how teachers teach students, and how teachers address challenges in teaching a foreign language.
The findings of this study are expected to offer useful insights for improving teacher education programs, especially in developing strategies that help pre-service EFL teachers manage teaching anxiety and enhance their self-efficacy during the practicum period.
To achieve the purpose of this study, three research questions have been developed in accordance with the study framework:
To what extent do pre-service EFL teachers experience teaching anxiety during their teaching practicum? .
To what extent do pre-service EFL teachers demonstrate self-efficacy during their teaching practicum? and .
Is there a significant relationship between teaching anxiety and self-efficacy among pre-service EFL teachers? with hypotheses of HCA: There is no significant relationship between teaching anxiety and self-efficacy, and HCA: There is a significant relationship between teaching anxiety and self-efficacy.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Teaching Practicum in EFL Teacher Education Teaching practicum is an essential part of teacher education courses, particularly in an EFL context, as it connects theory and practice by enabling trainee teachers to develop the skills needed to deliver instruction.
A noted component of the practicum stage is that it builds instructional competence, classroom management, and professional identity through reflective practice (Horwitz, 2.
It also enables pre-service teachers to cope with the demands of real teaching environments and to address diverse learnersAo needs.
Pre-service teachers, defined as university students enrolled in teacher education programs who have not yet obtained full 5 | ELE Reviews: English Language Education Reviews, 6.
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May 2026 teaching certification, occupy a transitional position globally.
they are simultaneously learners and emerging professionals navigating the complex demands of real classroom settings (Trent.
Yazan, 2.
Across various EFL contexts worldwide, pre-service teachers are positioned as novice practitioners whose professional identity, pedagogical beliefs, and emotional readiness are actively shaped during the practicum period (Miftah et al.
, 2.
However, during this transitional period, pre-service teachers are most vulnerable to teaching anxiety and self-efficacy fluctuations, thereby rendering the practicum phase an important psychological one too (Mery, 2015.
Subekti, 2.
The practicum experience, however, is usually accompanied by psychological issues such as self-doubt, fear of appraisal, and pressure to perform, which may affect pre-service teachersAo instructional conduct and professionalism (Andriani & Subekti, 2022.
Subekti.
This stage, then, is not just a learning process but also a test of emotional durability and a process of building self-efficacy.
Studies have shown that teaching practicum experiences can shape pre-service EFL teachersAo instructional competence, classroom management skills, and professional identity (Li.
Kuang, & Dan, 2023.
Nuraeni & Heryatun, 2.
Nonetheless, research demonstrates that this critical period also exposes pre-service teachers to psychological challenges, including teaching anxiety, low self-efficacy, and performance pressure, which can influence their teaching behavior and professional development (Li.
Xie, & Zeng, 2023.
Megawati & Astutik.
Sari & Anwar, 2.
Teaching practice experiences are not only learning opportunities.
they serve as tests of emotional resilience in which prospective teachers negotiate their developing professional identities while facing diverse classroom settings (Hapsari & Ena.
Subekti, 2.
During this period, reflective practice becomes an important tool in helping pre-service teachers process their experiences, manage pedagogical challenges, and build a strong professional identity (Altalhab et al.
, 2021.
Riyanti, 2.
Foreign Language Teaching Anxiety (FLTA) Foreign Language Teaching Anxiety (FLTA) refers to the affective nervousness and tension experienced by teachers while teaching a foreign language.
FLTA is more than just general foreign language anxiety because it involves teachers serving in dual roles as both users and teachers of the target language (Aydin & Utuk, 2.
It has been indicated that foreign language teachers also experience anxiety, such as learners, for fear of making linguistic mistakes or studentsAo negative judgment (Horwitz, 1.
Later studies revealed that Islami.
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Assessing Pre-Service EFL TeachersAo Teaching Anxiety and Self-Efficacy during the Teaching Practicum: A Correlational Study | 6 FLTA is triggered by multiple factors, such as insufficient teaching experience, linguistic insecurity, classroom management issues, perceived language proficiency, self-doubt, and time pressure (Aydin, 2016.
Gannoun & Deris, 2.
The Foreign Language Teaching Anxiety Scale (FLTAS) of Aydin and Utuk .
provides a systematic way of assessing these variables and demonstrates that teaching anxiety can negatively affect instructional quality and teacher well-being.
Therefore, recognizing FLTA as an independent construct is crucial to understanding the affective issues of EFL teachers.
Teacher Self-Efficacy in Elementary Foreign Language Environments Teacher self-efficacy, based on social cognitive theory by Bandura .
, is the teacherAos capacity to develop and implement actions that lead to positive learning outcomes.
Teachers with high self-efficacy believe that difficult work can be considered as opportunities for learning rather than a personal problem that may lower their self-esteem.
Bandura .
explains that self-efficacy affects a personAos motivational levels and emotion regulation in a classroom setting.
Self-efficacy in teaching English as a foreign language affects a personAos confidence when teaching English.
High self-efficacy is likely among teachers who are proactive in inspiring learners, employ innovative techniques, and overcome obstacles.
contrast, low self-efficacy can lead to avoidance behavior and increased anxiety.
Hence, teacher education programs must establish self-efficacy in the practicum through guided practice, mentoring, and supportive feedback.
Studies on Teaching Anxiety and TeachersAo Self-Efficacy in ELT Several studies in EFL contexts have consistently indicated a significant inverse relationship between teaching anxiety and teacher self-efficacy.
Liu and Wu .
also found that more self-efficacious EFL teachers had lower teaching anxiety, as belief in instructional ability lessens fear of evaluation and class anxiety.
Similarly.
Franschini and Park .
emphasized the importance of emotional control and reflective practice in maintaining teachersAo efficacy beliefs and avoiding the detrimental effects of anxiety on teaching In Turkey, a study explored pre-service teachersAo goal orientation, participation in online learning, and self-efficacy, and found that mastery goals may be difficult to implement in practice (Uyar & Bozkaya, 2.
These findings all support BanduraAos .
claim that high levels of self-confidence enable individuals to manage stress and face 7 | ELE Reviews: English Language Education Reviews, 6.
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May 2026 In the Indonesian context.
Sari and Anwar .
revealed that pre-service EFL teachers consistently experienced teaching anxiety due to their low experience, low self-rated proficiency, and fear of negative evaluation in the course of teaching practice.
A study also shows that teaching anxiety, based on the FLTA theory, may be affected by teaching inexperience, a common challenge in teaching practice (Sayow et al.
, 2.
This tension aligns with NugrohoAos .
finding that Indonesian pre-service teachersAo self-efficacy varies according to preparedness and self-perceived English ability.
In line with this.
Megawati & Astutik .
reported that classroom management problems and linguistic concerns often undermine teachersAo confidence during practicum.
Taken together, these studies suggest that teaching anxiety and self-efficacy are interrelated psychological conditions that influence the instructional practice and emotional state of EFL teachers.
While the majority of research on such variables in Indonesia has focused on each measure separately, there has been limited understanding of the impact these variables have on one another during the practicum stage, a point at which anxiety and confidence can be altered.
To the best of the researchersAo knowledge, no study has specifically investigated the correlational relationship between teaching anxiety and self-efficacy among Indonesian preservice EFL teachers during their 6th-semester practicum in the current Merdeka Curriculum context, where pedagogical demands have been significantly reformed.
This study aims to address gaps in the existing literature by examining the relationships between teaching anxiety and self-confidence among Indonesian EFL pre-service teachers who have completed their teaching practicum in their 6th semester of undergraduate study.
The novelty of this study lies in its focus on the practicum as a critical transitional stage, its Indonesian EFL-specific context, and its use of a correlational design to empirically capture the dynamic interplay between these two psychological constructs, contributing new evidence to a setting that remains underrepresented in the existing literature.
In contrast to earlier studies that had analyzed these constructs separately or independently, this study uses a correlational design to examine the relationship between teaching anxiety and teacher self-efficacy, especially during the preservice practicum period, to provide a more complete understanding of how these psychological constructs affect the professional development of pre-service teachers in the context of EFL classrooms in Indonesia.
Islami.
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Assessing Pre-Service EFL TeachersAo Teaching Anxiety and Self-Efficacy during the Teaching Practicum: A Correlational Study | 8
METHODS
Research Design This study focuses on addressing pre-service EFL teachersAo teaching anxiety in relation to their self-efficacy.
It was designed to describe and measure the relationship between these two variables using a descriptive-correlational design (Creswell & Creswell, 2.
and sets of It is acknowledged that a correlational design does not establish causation nor determine the directional influence between variables.
rather, it is employed in this study to identify the strength and direction of the relationship between teaching anxiety and selfefficacy, which serves as a necessary empirical foundation before any causal claims can be made (Shao et al.
, 2.
This design is appropriate for the present study, as the primary aim is to examine whether and to what extent teaching anxiety and self-efficacy co-vary among pre-service EFL teachers during their practicum, without manipulating or controlling either Pre-service EFL teachersAo level of teaching anxiety and their self-efficacy during teaching practice were also determined.
Participants The sample comprised 59 pre-service EFL teachers from a population of 137 at a state university in Malang City.
Indonesia.
The participants were chosen using purposive sampling, based on specified characteristics: EFL undergraduate students at the Department of English who have completed a teaching practicum in the 6th semester of their undergraduate degree during the academic period, and those currently in their 7th semester.
Purposive sampling was justified because it ensured that all participants shared comparable practicum experiences, thereby strengthening the internal validity of the findings (Creswell & Creswell, 2.
The 59 participants represent a 43% response rate from the total population, which is considered sufficient for a descriptive-correlational study.
However, the findings should be interpreted cautiously regarding their generalizability beyond this specific institutional context.
The participants also experienced the teaching practicum for a full 4 months in Junior High School .
,2%).
Senior High School .
,6%), and Vocational High School .
,2%).
While contextual differences across school types may influence participantsAo anxiety and self-efficacy levels, this study does not statistically control for school type.
rather, it reports these differences descriptively, and future research is encouraged to examine school type as a potential moderating variable.
26 male and 33 female students aged 19-23 completed a questionnaire comprising two instruments: the Foreign Language Teaching Anxiety Scale (FLTAS) with 33 9 | ELE Reviews: English Language Education Reviews, 6.
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The participants confirmed that they were willing to participate in this study voluntarily, provided the data were kept safe and anonymous, and that their consent had already been obtained.
Data Collection Procedure It was done using the online questionnaire, which enabled more efficient administration and easy access for participants.
While online questionnaire administration offers practical advantages, it is acknowledged that data were collected retrospectively after participants completed their practicum, which may introduce memory bias in their recall of anxiety and self-efficacy experiences (Kreitchmann et al.
, 2.
To mitigate this limitation, participants were asked to reflect specifically on their most recent and memorable practicum experiences, and the questionnaire was administered immediately after the completion of the 6th-semester practicum to minimize the retrospective bias.
The questionnaire consisted of the two main adapted instruments: the Foreign Language Teaching Anxiety Scale (FLTAS) by Aydin & Utuk .
and the TeachersAo Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) by Bandura .
Each question was asked after obtaining informed consent, including the participation criteria, which required completion of the teaching practicum.
Each question was assessed for validity by an English Language Education scholar.
Also, a pilot test was conducted on the data using 10% of the sample, and reliability was measured using CronbachAos Alpha .
When it is separated by scale, the FLTA shows a reliability of 0.
964, and the TSE shows a reliability of Two instruments were adopted in the research.
These instruments have been adapted to the contexts in which pre-service English language teachers find themselves during the teaching practicum.
Foreign Language Teaching Anxiety Scale (FLTAS) The FLTAS employed in this study was adapted from AuThe Foreign Language Teaching Anxiety ScaleAy devised by Aydin and Utuk .
The original scale comprises 27 items across five subscales: Self-Perceptions of Language Proficiency.
Teaching Inexperience.
Lack of Student Interest.
Fear of Negative Evaluation, and Difficulties with Time Management.
However, in this study, all five subscales were retained for delivery to several items were eliminated in a manner more suitable to this study, which involved pre-service EFL teachers in their teaching practicum.
In addition, 20 items were Islami.
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Assessing Pre-Service EFL TeachersAo Teaching Anxiety and Self-Efficacy during the Teaching Practicum: A Correlational Study | 10 employed in this study, selected for their relevance to this practicum environment and their ability to identify specific anxiety sources.
Moreover, a 5-point Likert scale was employed for item response to determine the teaching anxiety experienced by pre-service EFL teachers during the teaching practicum: 1 = Never (N), 2 = Rarely (R), 3 = Sometimes (S), 4 = Usually (U), and 5 = Always (A).
The blueprint of the FLTAS questionnaire is presented in Table 1.
Table 1.
Blueprint of the FLTAS questionnaire Aspects Self-Perceptions of Language Proficiency Teaching Inexperience Lack of Student Interest Fear of Negative Evaluation Difficulties with Time Management Indicators (Item.
I feel embarrassed when some students speak English better than me.
I feel embarrassed because I am not good at English.
When I feel anxious in class.
I have difficulty using English.
I forget almost everything while I am teaching.
I feel tense when I have difficulty teaching grammar.
I feel tense when I have difficulty teaching speaking.
Making mistakes while I am speaking makes me feel embarrassed.
Unexpected questions from students put pressure on me.
I think my lack of teaching experience makes me nervous.
I fear making mistakes while I am teaching in the classroom.
I feel anxious when I teach in the classroom.
I feel tense when students are not interested in the activities.
I feel stressed when students do not participate in the activities.
I feel tense when students become noisy and hard to manage.
My mentor said observations make me nervous.
I feel panicked when my mentor-teacher observes me.
My peersyCE observations make me nervous.
Reflections after teaching make me anxious.
I feel panicked when I cannot finish the class on time.
I feel tense when I am not prepared for the class.
Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale (TSES) The TSES is adapted from BanduraAos scale .
, shortened to 15 items from the original 28-item scale.
The 15 items were not originally adopted because other items were unsuitable for this study, but they were adopted in accordance with the studyAos measurement The six domains of BanduraAos scale .
were Efficacy to Influence Decision Making.
Instructional Self-Efficacy.
Disciplinary Self-Efficacy.
Efficacy to Enlist Parental Involvement.
Efficacy to Enlist Community Involvement, and Efficacy to Create a Positive School Climate.
However, the present study used only three domains to measure teacher selfefficacy: Instructional Self-Efficacy.
Disciplinary Self-Efficacy, and Efficacy to Create a Positive School Climate.
These adapted domains were chosen because they are most closely aligned with the actual tasks and responsibilities pre-service EFL teachers perform during their Items related to decision-making, parental involvement, and community 11 | ELE Reviews: English Language Education Reviews, 6.
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May 2026 engagement were excluded from this study, as pre-service teachers typically lack the authority or opportunity to address these areas.
A 4-point Likert scale is used for responses: 1 = Strongly disagree (SD), 2 = Disagree (D), 3 = Agree (A), and 4 = Strongly Agree (SA).
The blueprint of the TSES questionnaire is presented in Table 2.
Table 2.
Blueprint of the TSES questionnaire Aspects Instructional SelfEfficacy Disciplinary SelfEfficacy Efficacy to Create a Positive School Climate Indicators (Item.
I can effectively teach the most difficult students.
I can get students to learn English despite a lack of support from home.
I can keep students focused on difficult English assignments.
I can help students remember what they have been taught in previous lessons.
I can motivate students who show low interest in English schoolwork.
I can get students to work well together on group tasks.
I can overcome the influence of adverse conditions on studentsAo learning.
I can get students to do their English homework.
I can get students to follow classroom rules.
I can control disruptive behavior in the classroom.
I can prevent problem behavior on the school grounds.
I can get students to trust me as their teacher.
I can successfully get students to believe they can learn English.
I can encourage students to respect one another in the classroom.
I can create a supportive and motivating learning environment.
Data Analysis Procedures The quantitative data were analyzed using the Pearson correlation coefficient in SPSS Firstly, the mean and standard deviation values for both the teaching anxiety and teaching self-efficacy scales were analyzed to provide an understanding of the prevailing levels of teaching anxiety and self-efficacy, in an attempt to address research questions one and two.
Due to the FLTAS .
-point Liker.
and TSES .
-point Liker.
, which differed in the number of items and response scales, mean standardization was applied to ensure consistency and avoid scale-related bias in the correlation analysis.
The data were tested for normal distribution using the Shapiro-Wilk test .
> 0.
05 for both scale.
and for homogeneity of variance using LeveneAos test .
> 0.
prior to performing PearsonAos correlation.
Further analysis employed the Pearson correlation coefficient to examine the relationship underlying mean values for teaching anxiety and self-efficacy, in an attempt to address research question three.
FINDINGS
Teaching Anxiety Among Pre-Service EFL Teachers This section presents results from the FLTA instrument, which assesses various dimensions of anxiety experienced by pre-service EFL teachers.
The mean, median, and Islami.
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Assessing Pre-Service EFL TeachersAo Teaching Anxiety and Self-Efficacy during the Teaching Practicum: A Correlational Study | 12 standard deviation for each item were calculated to establish the tendencies exhibited by the pre-service EFL teachers.
Since the instrument does not provide categorical levels, the interpretation focuses on relative patterns across items.
Descriptive Statistics of Teaching Anxiety Table 3 presents the descriptive statistics for FLTA aspects, and Table 4 shows that the item means ranged from 1.
78 to 3.
59, indicating that participants varied in the extent to which they experienced anxiety across different teaching situations.
Table 3.
Descriptive statistics of FLTAS aspects Aspects Self-Perceptions of Language Proficiency Teaching Inexperience Lack of Student Interest Fear of Negative Evaluation Difficulties with Time Management Mean Table 4.
Descriptive statistics of FLTAS items Question Items Q10
Q11
Q12
Q13
Q14
Q15
Q16
Q17
Q18
Q19
Q20
Valid N .
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SD = 1.
, item 9 Ae AuI think my lack of teaching experience makes me nervousAy M = 3.
SD = 1.
, item 12 Ae AuI feel tense when students are not interested in the activitiesAy (M = 3.
SD = 1.
, and item 20 Ae AuI feel tense when I am not prepared for the classAy (M = 3.
SD = 1.
The results indicate that concerns about teaching performance, classroom readiness, and studentsAo engagement were the most prominent sources of anxiety.
In contrast, several items recorded lower mean scores, including: item 4 Ae AuI forget almost all the materials while I am teachingAy (M = 1.
SD = 0.
, and item 17 Ae AuMy peersAo observations make me nervousAy (M = 2.
SD = 1.
The results show that the participants did not frequently experience extreme cognitive overload or peer-related pressure.
Overall, the pattern of item responses indicates that participants experienced anxiety in certain teaching situations, particularly those related to performance, evaluation, and readiness.
Level of Self-Efficacy Among Pre-Service EFL Teachers This subsection reports the descriptive findings from the TSES, which assesses participantsAo confidence in performing instructional, disciplinary, and relational tasks during their teaching practicum.
According to BanduraAos scale .
, the interpretation also includes level categories based on the 4-point scale: 1.
00 -- 1.
75 = Cannot Do, 1.
76 -- 2.
50 = Slightly Can Do, 2.
51 -- 3.
25 = Moderately Can Do, and 3.
26 -- 4.
00 = Certainly Can Do.
Descriptive Statistics of Self-Efficacy Levels Table 5 presents the descriptive statistics for TSES aspects, and Table 6 shows the item means ranged from 2.
53 to 3.
31, indicating levels of AuModerately Can DoAy to AuCertainly Can DoAy.
Table 5.
Descriptive statistics of TSES aspects Aspects Instructional Self-Efficacy Disciplinary Self-Efficacy Efficacy to Create a Positive School Climate Mean Islami.
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Assessing Pre-Service EFL TeachersAo Teaching Anxiety and Self-Efficacy during the Teaching Practicum: A Correlational Study | 14 Table 6.
Descriptive Statistics of TSES Items Question Items Q21
Q22
Q23
Q24
Q25
Q26
Q27
Q28
Q29
Q30
Q31
Q32
Q33
Q34
Q35
Valid N .
Mean Most items were categorized as AuModerately Can Do,Ay meaning participants felt they could perform the tasks with reasonable ability, though not with absolute certainty.
The highest mean score was observed in: item 35 Ae AuI can successfully get students to believe they can learn EnglishAy (M = 3.
SD = 0.
This item falls into the AuCertainly Can DoAy level, indicating strong confidence in encouraging studentsAo beliefs and motivation.
Meanwhile, a few items showed lower mean scores within the same level, such as item 27 Ae AuI can overcome the influence of adverse conditions on studentsAo learningAy (M = 2.
= 0.
, and item 31 Ae AuI can prevent problem behavior on school groundsAy (M = 2.
SD =
Although still categorized as AuModerately Can Do,Ay these items suggest areas where participants felt less confident, possibly due to the greater contextual challenges involved.
Overall, the analysis shows that the pre-service teachers had adequate self-efficacy beliefs, though some areas require additional support during the practicum.
Relationship Between Teaching Anxiety and Self-Efficacy This subsection answers Research Question 3, which investigates whether there is a significant relationship between teaching anxiety and self-efficacy among the 59 pre-service EFL teachers who participated in this study.
For this purpose, a Pearson product-moment correlation analysis was performed using the mean scores of the FLTA and TSES.
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May 2026 Pearson Correlation Between Teaching Anxiety and Self-Efficacy The correlation analysis revealed a weak negative and statistically significant correlation between teaching anxiety and self-efficacy.
The value was .
= -.
287, p = .
The results suggest that higher levels of teaching anxiety were linked with lower levels of selfefficacy in pre-service EFL teachers.
Table 7.
Pearson correlation results Teaching Anxiety Teaching Anxiety Pearson Correlation Sig.
-taile.
Pearson Correlation Sig.
-taile.
Teacher SelfEfficacy Teacher Self-Efficacy *Significant at p < .
Based on Table 7, the hypothesis for Research Question 3 was described as follows: if the p-value (.
is lower than .
HCA is rejected, and HCA is accepted.
Therefore, this study confirms that teaching anxiety and self-efficacy are highly related, with a negative direction of The correlation strength falls within the small-to-moderate range, indicating that anxiety is not the only factor influencing self-efficacy, while the relationship is meaningful.
Nonetheless, the significant p-value confirms that the association is genuine and not due to random variation.
Regression Analysis The regression analysis indicated that teaching anxiety was significantly related to teachersAo self-efficacy .
= .
Table 8 presents the Model Summary of the regression analysis, in which teaching anxiety .
s the predicto.
was entered as the sole predictor .
of teacher self-efficacy.
The regression equation explains 8.
3% of the total variance in teachersAo self-efficacy scores, with an RA of .
It means that although teaching anxiety is an influential factor in teachersAo confidence, it is not the only determining factor.
Table 8.
R-Square regression Model R Square Model Summary Adjusted R-Square Predictors: (Constan.
Teaching Anxiety Std.
Error of the Estimate Islami.
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Assessing Pre-Service EFL TeachersAo Teaching Anxiety and Self-Efficacy during the Teaching Practicum: A Correlational Study | 16 Table 9.
Regression summary predicting self-efficacy from teaching anxiety Model (Constan.
Teaching Anxiety Coefficientsa Unstandardized Coefficients Standardized Coefficients Std.
Error Sig.
Beta Dependent Variable: Teacher Self-Efficacy Table 9 presents the regression coefficients predicting teacher self-efficacy from teaching anxiety.
In this model, teacher self-efficacy serves as the dependent variable, while teaching anxiety functions as the independent predictor variable.
The regression coefficient (B = -0.
170, = -.
287, t = -2.
266, p = .
shows that each one-unit increase in anxiety leads to 17-point decrease in self-efficacy.
It also confirms the negative relationship observed in the correlation analysis and highlights the role of emotional tension in undermining pre-service teachersAo confidence during practicum.
DISCUSSION
The current study examined the pattern of teaching anxiety and the levels of selfefficacy among pre-service EFL teachers who have completed the teaching practicum.
It also aimed to examine the relationship between the above two variables.
The findings, which indicated moderate levels of both teaching anxiety and self-efficacy, add to the growing body of literature that has emphasized the practicum as a psychologically demanding phase for preservice EFL teachers.
These findings also support the contention that pre-service teachersAo selfperception significantly influences their readiness for professional practice.
The first finding indicates that pre-service EFL teachers experienced varying levels of teaching anxiety across different classroom situations, as reflected in the item-by-item tendencies of the FLTA scale.
Although the instrument does not categorize anxiety into levels, descriptive patterns indicate that several situations related to teaching, such as fear of making mistakes, insufficient teaching experience, and preparedness of the lesson, caused the most As it can cause anxiety, those patterns closely reflect the three FLTA domains: fear of negative evaluation, reflected in concerns about making mistakes, teaching inexperience, and difficulties with time management, as evidenced in lesson preparedness concerns.
These findings are confirmed by previous studies conducted in Indonesia and Turkey that consistently reported that the period of practicum is inherently anxiety-provoking since emotional and 17 | ELE Reviews: English Language Education Reviews, 6.
, 1-24.
May 2026 professional demands during this period fall upon the pre-service teachers (Charisma & Nurmalasari, 2020.
Lian et al.
, 2025.
Mery, 2015.
Permatasari et al.
, 2019.
Sari & Anwar.
While participants were anxious in some situations, they were not overwhelmed by their perceptions, indicating they could handle the stressful activities during the practicum.
This pattern of anxiety may be attributed to several factors that are widely discussed in the literature.
Among those, fear of negative evaluation is a leading source, as pre-service EFL teachers often report feeling anxious when observed or judged by mentor teachers, supervisors, or even students (Charisma & Nurmalasari, 2020.
Mery, 2015.
Sayow et al.
, 2.
It falls within the broader construct of Foreign Language Teaching Anxiety as established by Horwitz et al.
, further supported by Horwitz .
Other contributing factors include limited teaching experience, which puts pre-service EFL teachers at risk of feeling uncertain about how to handle classroom management, unexpected student behavior, or effectively plan Thereby, doubts regarding English language proficiency, especially on grammar and pronunciation, are common sources of anxiety in Indonesian and Turkish contexts (Aydin.
Aydin & Utuk, 2020.
Charisma & Nurmalasari, 2020.
Lian et al.
, 2025.
Permatasari et , 2.
Despite such challenges, the descriptive patterns indicate that many pre-service EFL teachers were able to manage their anxiety through the use of coping strategies, such as preparation, self-adjustment, and rapport-building Aepreviously identified coping mechanisms for reducing teaching-related stress (Charisma & Nurmalasari, 2020.
Maharani & Fithriani.
Such findings also support the position that teaching anxiety is dynamic and modifiable at any time when pre-service teachers receive environmental support and proper guidance.
The overall emphasis of the study is on practicum designs that provide guided simulation, structured teaching exposure, and explicit training in coping mechanisms as strategic measures to better equip pre-service teachers to deal with classroom-related stress.
This study also observed that pre-service EFL teachers had a moderate level of selfefficacy.
Based on BanduraAos Social Cognitive Theory, for instance, it is expected that selfefficacy is developed from personal experiences, observations, persuasion, and affective states (Bandura, 1997.
Doan, 2.
It is necessary to point out that moderate levels of teaching self-efficacy during the teaching practice stage are both reasonable and expected in terms of development, since pre-service teachers are still in the phase of training and learning to shape their professional identity, during which their self-efficacy naturally varies between developing skills and the persistence certainty.
In particular, studies conducted during the practicum stage Islami.
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Assessing Pre-Service EFL TeachersAo Teaching Anxiety and Self-Efficacy during the Teaching Practicum: A Correlational Study | 18 most often report moderate self-efficacy among pre-service EFL teachers still negotiating the transition from theoretical training to classroom reality.
One reason for this moderate score may be their limited enactive mastery experiences.
While the coursework and practicum in teacher education programs entail foundational competencies, the practicum itself allows preservice EFL teachers to engage in actual classroom teaching for only a limited time.
Thus, preservice EFL teachers may experience some successful teaching but may not yet have achieved repeated mastery, which can build self-efficacy (Hoang & Wyatt, 2.
The gap between theory and practice is another factor because, in actual classroom settings, factors such as student motivation and other unexpected disruptions do not always allow pre-service EFL teachers to apply techniques learned at university (Fraschini & Park, 2021.
Maharani & Fithriani, 2.
Furthermore, moderate overall self-efficacy may mask variations across subdomains.
For example, pre-service EFL teachers feel confident in instructional strategies but less confident in classroom management, which is a critical determinant of teaching behavior and aligns with a study examining EFL teachersAo self-efficacy through instructional strategies, student engagement, and classroom management (Choi & Lee, 2.
Importantly, this moderate level should not be seen as negative.
in many instances, such a realistic assessment of oneAos ability encourages continued learning and improvement, thereby fostering long-term professional development of the individual concerned (Mehmood, 2.
The moderate level of self-efficacy indicates that teacher education programs should strengthen mastery-based learning opportunities, such as extended practicum hours, reflective teaching cycles, and targeted feedback to enhance pre-service EFL teachersAo sense of competence.
The negative association between teaching anxiety and self-efficacy has been most striking, as it can highlight the theoretical assumptions established in the EFL context in Indonesia.
Predicted by BanduraAos theory and supported by a series of studies in EFL teacher psychology, the results show that the stronger the belief in oneAos ability, the less anxiety the pre-service teachers is likely to have since this study underlines that the negative correlation between self-confidence and anxiety holds consistently across various cultural and educational settings, along with the programs for teacher education in Indonesia (Doan, 2016.
Mery, 2015.
Uyar & Bozkaya, 2.
Higher levels of self-efficacy act as a psychological buffer: preservice EFL teachers who are confident they can handle teaching tasks view challenges, such as unexpected student reactions or observation by their supervisor, as relatively manageable rather than threatening (Aydin, 2016.
Fraschini & Park, 2.
19 | ELE Reviews: English Language Education Reviews, 6.
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May 2026 This relationship could be further explained as being cyclical.
When pre-service EFL teachers experience low self-efficacy, they may perceive everyday teaching tasks as challenging and may raise their anxiety level.
Anxiety may then demotivate a PST from engaging in challenging teaching tasks, thereby reducing the likelihood of mastery experiences and, in turn, reducing self-efficacy (Choi & Lee, 2.
Conversely, pre-service EFL teachers with moderate or high self-efficacy may take greater risks in teaching, gain more mastery experiences, and gradually become less stressed (Bandura, 1997.
Nugroho, 2.
The practical implication is clear: teacher education programs should focus on the design of practicum experiences explicitly aimed at strengthening pre-service teachersAo self-efficacy, particularly in high-anxiety areas related to classroom management or communicative By increasing authentic and scaffolded opportunities for mastery, teacher trainers can indirectly but effectively reduce teaching anxiety.
CONCLUSION
This study investigated the patterns of teaching anxiety and the levels of teacher selfefficacy among pre-service EFL teachers during their teaching practicum.
It explored the relationship between these two psychological constructs.
Results showed participants had a pattern of teaching anxiety in several teaching situations and expressed a moderate level of self-efficacy across instructional and classroom management tasks.
A significant negative correlation was found, as the measurement scale necessarily yields negative correlations due to the reversal of results, indicating that higher teaching anxiety levels correlate with lower teacher self-efficacy.
It also emphasizes the critical role of emotional conditions in shaping professional readiness.
From a theoretical perspective, this study provides empirical evidence supporting BanduraAos Social Cognitive Theory in the context of teaching English as a foreign language in Indonesia, emphasizing that teachersAo self-efficacy and teaching anxiety function as interrelated psychological mechanisms that influence the development of pre-service teachers during their teaching practicum.
These findings further emphasize the implications for teacher education programs to strengthen practicum support by providing structured mentoring and strategies for anxiety management while simultaneously building teaching Islami.
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Assessing Pre-Service EFL TeachersAo Teaching Anxiety and Self-Efficacy during the Teaching Practicum: A Correlational Study | 20
LIMITATIONS AND STUDY FORWARD
This study identifies two main limitations: methodological and contextual.
Methodologically, the research instruments relied solely on self-report questionnaires rather than delving deeper through interview sessions, which may limit causal interpretations and conclusions and may not capture pre-service teachersAo complex experiences, which need to be explored further.
It is further acknowledged that self-report instruments are susceptible to social desirability bias, in which participants may respond in ways they perceive as socially acceptable rather than accurately reflecting their experiences, as well as to inaccurate selfperceptions stemming from limited self-awareness during the practicum period.
To partially address this, participants were assured of full anonymity and confidentiality before data collection, and the instruments used, the FLTAS and TSES, are validated scales with established reliability, which helps reduce, though not eliminate, the influence of response bias.
Contextually, the sampling in this study was also limited, as it was drawn only from a public university, which may limit the generalizability of the findings to other teacher education programs in Indonesia with different teaching practicum structures.
Furthermore, this study provides strong evidence that the affective aspect is a crucial factor in the development of pre-service EFL teachers, warranting greater attention in both research and practice.
For future researchers, it is necessary to dig deeper into this topic by following up on pre-service teachersAo experiences of teaching anxiety and self-efficacy using qualitative data, either through interviews or observations, to examine the actual implementation and experience of teaching activities.
REFERENCES