Problem-Posing Self-Efficacy Linked to Later Geometry Confidence in Teacher Candidates

Problem-posing self-efficacy measured at the start of a mathematics teacher-education program was positively associated with geometry self-efficacy nearly four years later, according to a two-wave longitudinal study of pre-service mathematics teachers. The analysis included a matched sample of 251 participants and found that the relationship remained after accounting for the stability of both constructs and their baseline relationship. The result shows a prospective association, not proof that stronger problem-posing confidence causes stronger geometry confidence.

Researchers collected data in October 2021 and May 2025, using a two-wave cross-lagged panel design to examine the longitudinal interplay between geometry self-efficacy and problem-posing self-efficacy. Both constructs were assessed at each wave. The analysis tested whether variation in one measure at the first measurement was associated with variation in the other at the second measurement, while accounting for each construct’s stability over time and the initial relationship between them.

Both geometry self-efficacy and problem-posing self-efficacy were significantly stable across the study period. Within that pattern, the cross-lagged result pointed in one temporal direction: problem-posing self-efficacy at Time 1 was positively associated with geometry self-efficacy at Time 2 after the researchers accounted for geometry self-efficacy at Time 1, problem-posing self-efficacy at Time 2, and the baseline association between the two measures. The findings address a gap identified by the researchers, who noted that cross-sectional studies have generally examined these self-efficacy beliefs at a single point in time.

Because the new analysis placed both measures in temporal order across two waves, it could test a directional association rather than only a relationship between concurrent scores. The study nevertheless concerns longitudinal association, not a direct developmental mechanism: the data do not demonstrate that one type of self-efficacy produces or causes changes in the other. Several limitations constrain interpretation.

The interval between October 2021 and May 2025 was long, and many educational experiences could have occurred during it, but the supplied study abstract does not identify those experiences or their influence. The analysis also does not establish the effect of an intervention, including a problem-posing or geometry program. In addition, the final results are based on 251 matched participants, so they characterize the analyzed group rather than demonstrating that the same relationship applies to every pre-service teacher.

The evidence supports further investigation of how the two forms of self-efficacy may be connected during teacher education, but it does not establish a causal pathway or a basis for claiming that a particular training strategy will improve either outcome.

Subject of Research: Longitudinal associations between geometry and problem-posing self-efficacy in pre-service mathematics teachers

Article Title: A two-wave longitudinal study of geometry self-efficacy and problem-posing in pre-service mathematics teachers

Article References: Ergene, O., Caylan-Ergene, B., & Türk Kurtça, T. (2026). A two-wave longitudinal study of geometry self-efficacy and problem-posing in pre-service mathematics teachers. BMC Psychology, 14(1), Article 1523. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-05569-0

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s40359-026-05569-0

Keywords: geometry self-efficacy, problem-posing self-efficacy, pre-service teachers, mathematics education, teacher education, longitudinal study, cross-lagged panel, self-efficacy beliefs, two-wave, longitudinal, geometry, self-efficacy