Abstract

The Professional Teacher of Rajabhat University (PTRU) Model provides a competency-oriented framework for teacher preparation at Rajabhat Universities in Thailand. Using a convergent mixed-methods design, this study examined teaching performance, teaching self-efficacy, and practicum experiences among 28 fourth-year pre-service English teachers during the second semester of their year-long school-based practicum within a PTRU-oriented teacher education program. Teaching performance was examined using practicum-based professional competency assessments covering Learning Management, Parent and Community Relations, and Teacher Duties and Professional Ethics, while teaching self-efficacy was measured using the Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES). Semi-structured interviews were also conducted to explore participants’ teaching and professional experiences during practicum. Teaching performance scores were toward the upper end of the assessment scale and were higher across successive assessment periods, from 89.15% in the first period to 92.47% in the third. Teacher Duties and Professional Ethics showed the highest relative performance (94.12%), followed by Learning Management (91.45%) and Parent and Community Relations (89.88%). Teaching self-efficacy was also toward the upper end of the TSES scale (M = 7.54, SD = 0.38), with Classroom Management showing the highest mean. Interview findings reflected participants’ experiences of adapting teaching to classroom realities, feeling confident in some areas while remaining uncertain in others, responding to learners’ needs, and recognizing both the value and limitations of university preparation. The findings provide complementary perspectives on practicum outcomes by considering professionally evaluated performance, perceived teaching capability, and participants’ experiences of teaching within PTRU-oriented teacher preparation.

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