Transformative Practicum Experience, Reflective Practice, Teaching Self-Efficacy, and Professional Identity Formation among Pre-Service Early Childhood Teachers in Vietnam

Dataset Description

Overview

This dataset contains survey responses from pre-service early childhood teachers in Vietnam and was developed to examine the mechanisms underlying professional identity formation during teacher preparation. The study investigates how transformative practicum experiences influence professional identity formation through the mediating roles of reflective practice and teaching self-efficacy.

Data were collected from undergraduate students enrolled in Early Childhood Education programs at seven major teacher education universities across Vietnam. The dataset supports the analysis of direct, indirect, and sequential relationships among contextual experiences and psychological processes associated with teacher development.

Conceptual Structure

The dataset is based on a hierarchical component model consisting of two Higher-Order Constructs (HOCs) and two First-Order Constructs.

Higher-Order Construct 1: Transformative Practicum Experience (TPE)

Transformative Practicum Experience is specified as a reflective-formative higher-order construct representing the developmental quality of practicum experiences. The construct consists of five Lower-Order Constructs (LOCs):

• Mentor Support (MS; 5 items)
• Reflective Feedback (RF; 6 items)
• Authentic Teaching Opportunities (ATO; 5 items)
• Theory–Practice Integration (TPI; 5 items)
• Professional Interaction (PRI; 6 items)

The TPE construct contains a total of 27 indicators and captures multiple dimensions of professional learning during practicum placements.

First-Order Construct: Reflective Practice (RP)

Reflective Practice is measured using six indicators adapted from established reflective thinking instruments. The construct assesses the extent to which student teachers critically examine professional experiences, evaluate instructional decisions, and learn from classroom events.

First-Order Construct: Teaching Self-Efficacy (TSE)

Teaching Self-Efficacy is measured using six indicators reflecting confidence in professional capability, instructional effectiveness, classroom management, and readiness for teaching practice.

Higher-Order Construct 2: Professional Identity Formation (PIF)

Professional Identity Formation is specified as a reflective-formative higher-order construct representing the development of a professional sense of self as an early childhood teacher. The construct consists of four Lower-Order Constructs (LOCs):

• Professional Values (PV; 5 items)
• Teacher Role Perception (TRP; 6 items)
• Professional Belonging (PB; 5 items)
• Career Commitment (CC; 6 items)

The PIF construct contains a total of 22 indicators and captures multiple dimensions of professional identity development.

Dataset Content

The dataset includes:

• Participant demographic information
• Practicum-related contextual variables
• Responses to 61 measurement items
• Scores representing eleven lower-order dimensions
• Variables suitable for higher-order construct modelling

Contextual variables include university affiliation, academic year, practicum status, practicum placement type, practicum region, practicum workload, academic performance, and prior childcare experience.

Measurement Scale

All construct indicators were measured using a seven-point Likert scale:

1 = Strongly Disagree

2 = Disagree

3 = Somewhat Disagree

4 = Neutral

5 = Somewhat Agree

6 = Agree

7 = Strongly Agree

Higher scores indicate stronger perceptions of practicum quality, reflective engagement, teaching self-efficacy, and professional identity formation.

Potential Applications

The dataset is suitable for research in teacher education, early childhood education, professional identity development, educational psychology, practicum studies, and teacher professional learning.

Researchers may use the dataset for:

• Structural Equation Modelling (SEM)
• Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM)
• Mediation analysis
• Sequential mediation analysis
• Higher-order construct modelling
• Psychometric validation
• Cross-institutional comparisons

Ethical Considerations

Participation was voluntary and informed consent was obtained from all participants before data collection. All responses were anonymized prior to analysis. No personally identifiable information is included in the dataset.

Related Publication

The dataset accompanies the article:

Becoming an Early Childhood Teacher in Vietnam: The Roles of Reflection and Self-Efficacy in Professional Identity Formation.