Abstract
Integrating the Kumon method into preschool settings requires teaching competencies existing self-efficacy instruments do not capture. This study developed and validated a nine-dimensional preschool teacher self-efficacy scale for Kumon-oriented instruction, spanning child development knowledge, individual assessment, scaffolding, self-directed learning, mastery-based teaching, motivation, family partnership, literacy and mathematics content knowledge, and STEM integration, administered to 204 preschool teachers in southern Kazakhstan. Confirmatory factor analysis supported each subscale (CFI = .953-.999), with high internal consistency across all dimensions (α = .959-.981). Neither Kumon nor STEM teaching experience differentiated self-efficacy scores. Teaching experience showed a non-linear pattern, with mid-career teachers scoring lower than novice and senior teachers; education level had no predictive value. Latent profile analysis identified three distinct profiles, high (41.2%), moderate (40.7%), and low competency (18.1%), with mid-career teachers overrepresented in the low-competency class. STEM integration was consistently the weakest dimension, with implications for professional development in early childhood instruction..