Examining the Relationship Between Early Childhood Educators' Self-Efficacy and Children's Language Development in Islamic Kindergartens
Keywords:
Self-Efficacy, Early Childhood Educators, Language Ability, Early ChildhoodAbstract
This study examined the influence of educators’ self-efficacy on early childhood language development at Sangatta Utara Islamic Kindergarten, East Kutai Timur, East Kalimantan. Grounded in Bandura’s self-efficacy theory and Vygotsky’s scaffolding concept, the study viewed teachers’ professional beliefs as an essential factor in fostering effective learning interactions and language stimulation. A quantitative explanatory cross-sectional design was employed, involving educators and early childhood learners. Data were gathered using validated self-efficacy questionnaires and structured language development observation sheets, followed by descriptive and inferential statistical analyses. The findings revealed that educators generally demonstrated high levels of self-efficacy, while children exhibited good language development. Furthermore, educators’ self-efficacy showed a significant positive effect on children’s language development, suggesting that stronger professional confidence contributes to more effective language learning experiences. Although self-efficacy was identified as an important predictor, the findings also indicate the contribution of other contextual factors. Therefore, continuous professional development and stronger school–parent collaboration are recommended to enhance language stimulation in Islamic early childhood education settings.
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