Preschool teachers' attitudes toward career education: the role of cultural context and teaching self-efficacy

The present research examined attitudes toward career education in kindergarten classes among kindergarten teachers. Cognitive and behavioral aspects of teachers’ attitudes toward career education were investigated as they related to teachers’ education level, children’s economic status, cultural differences, and teaching self-efficacy. Participants were 184 female Israeli preschool teachers in two cultural groups: 96 Israeli Arab and 88 Israeli Jewish teachers. Arab participants expressed greater importance in implementing career education in the preschool setting than did the Jewish participants. Moreover, the findings support the role of teachers’ self-efficacy in developing positive attitudes toward novel programs such as career education.