Teacher professional competence as a multidimensional construct: evaluating the effectiveness of university teacher education

Abstract University teacher education equips prospective teachers with the competencies required for successful entry into the profession. However, evidence for this education’s effectiveness has long been a desideratum for researchers. Applying a multidimensional competence framework—encompassing knowledge and skills, professional beliefs, and affective-motivational characteristics—this study compares final-year pre‐service master’s-level teachers with students at bachelor’s level, accounting for program-specific effects and controlling for individual learning prerequisites. At one of Germany’s largest teacher education universities, 690 participants (234 master’s and 456 bachelor’s students) completed a comprehensive battery of standardized performance tests and self-report measures. Multiple regression analyses revealed that master’s students significantly outperformed bachelor’s students in most knowledge domains and held more favorable pedagogical beliefs. However, they exhibited slightly less favorable affect and motivation (e.g., lower self-efficacy). Significant main effects of the teacher education program type (e.g., higher pedagogical knowledge among prospective special education teachers) underscore university-based teacher education’s effectiveness. We discuss the findings’ implications for structuring and enhancing university teacher education.