Motivation, self-efficacy, and resilience in early childhood pre-service teachers' education career decision-making

Introduction: In Indonesia, the Ministry of Education has strategically established early childhood education (ECE) programs within universities to cultivate specialized educators. However, pre-service teachers often enter these programs with perceptions of teaching that may not align with the professional realities they ultimately face. Despite structured programs designed to foster motivation, resilience, and self-efficacy in career decision-making, a persistent gap exists between academic preparation and the practical demands of the teaching profession. Objective: This study examines the nexus between pre-service early childhood teachers' education resilience, self-efficacy in making career decisions, and motivation to pursue a teaching career. Methodology: The study involved 305 early childhood education teachers-candidates from three colleges in Medan, North Sumatera. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data, and AMOS 26 software was used for structural equation modeling (SEM) and Pearson's correlation analysis. Results: Significant correlations between the three variables are found in the results, which further emphasize the mediation function of career decision self-efficacy in the association between career resilience and motivation for pursuing a teaching career. Discussion: The aforementioned findings highlight the need of incorporating focused tactics into early childhood education curricula to enhance pre-service teachers' self-efficacy in making career decisions, thereby cultivating resilience in their career paths. Conclusions: This study contributes to the growing body of research on teacher preparation by elucidating the intricate dynamics between motivation, resilience, and self-efficacy in career decision-making. By demonstrating the mediating role of career decision self-efficacy, this research offers empirical insights for refining early childhood teacher education programs.