Examining the Pre-service Teachers’ Components of Self-Efficacy Beliefs in Science Teaching (SEBST)

Abstract

This study was designed as a qualitative–quantitative triangulation research, one of the mixed method designs in which the data are collected concurrently, with the purpose of examining the pre-service teachers’ components of self-efficacy beliefs in science teaching. The study was carried out with the participation of 189 pre-service science teachers. Data of the study was collected using a “Personal Information Form”, the “Self-Efficacy Scale for Science Teaching”, and an “Unstructured Questionnaire” consisting of four open-ended questions. Since the quantitative data obtained from the research fulfilled the assumptions of parametric test, the descriptive statistics were analyzed using independent samples t-Test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The qualitative data was analyzed using content analysis. Based on the analysis results obtained from the quantitative data, it was found that whereas the pre-service teachers’ mean scores for the Self Efficacy Scale for Science Teaching did not differ significantly in terms of gender, they differed significantly in terms of level of grade, whether selected the department willfully and career plan. The results obtained from the qualitative data was evaluated under four themes: Verbal persuasion, direct experiences, indirect experiences and emotional state.