Purpose: The purposes of this study is to examine the impact of primarily bureaucratic socialization; and demographic, experiential, and philosophical orientations (beliefs about key educational concepts) variables on teacher candidates' pupil control ideology (PCI) during a pre-service teacher education program. The relationship between philosophical orientations and changes to PCI is of particular interest. Design/methodology/approach: Data collected at the beginning and end of their teacher education program from 474 teacher candidates were analysed using multivariate analyses. Findings: Practicum socialization experiences were more closely associated with participants' PCI at the end of the teacher education program than any of the demographic, experiential, or philosophical orientation variables. Research limitations/implications: An examination of interaction effects among the variables revealed a limited number of situations where the interaction of particular beliefs, demographic, and experience variables appear to minimize the shift to a more custodial PCI. Specific implications are identified in relation to males and elementary teaching, urban practicum placements, and pre-service teacher education curriculum units pertaining to authenticity of beginning teacher practices. Originality/value: The study provides a framework within which educators may examine the authenticity of beginning teachers' practice. In particular, educators may wish to carefully consider the evidence suggesting that pre-service teachers practice may be inauthentic, that is, primarily imitative as a result of custodializing socialization factors, but only in particular circumstances associated with their predominantly humanistic beliefs about education. (Contains 2 tables, 4 figures and 1 note.)