Bridging theory and practice: Self-efficacy as a mediator linking field training to the growth of pedagogical competencies among Chinese pre-service teachers

Field-based pedagogical preparation constitutes a foundational pillar for cultivating pre-service teachers' classroom competencies by bridging educational theory and authentic instructional practice. This study explores the predictive relationships between three core segments of pre-service training-school teaching internships, classroom observational learning, and simulated micro-teaching-and pre-service teachers' self-reported growth in instructional proficiency, with a central focus on the intervening cognitive mechanism of teacher self-efficacy. Questionnaire data were collected from 399 randomly selected final-year pre-service teachers enrolled at a comprehensive normal university in China. Drawing on Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) and bootstrapping procedures, this research quantifies both direct predictive paths and indirect mediating pathways among the focal constructs. Results demonstrate that all three forms of field training exert significant positive direct effects on the refinement of pre-service teachers' pedagogical capabilities, and teacher self-efficacy significantly mediates each of these predictive linkages. These findings underscore the indispensable value of structured experiential training for integrating theoretical knowledge with classroom practice and boosting pre-service educators' instructional competencies. This paper proposes that normal universities should upgrade their systematic field training curricula, build supportive learning ecosystems for trainees, and intentionally foster pre-service teachers' domain-specific self-efficacy to facilitate their long-term professional development.