Implementers, designers, and disseminators of integrated STEM activities: self-efficacy and commitment

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background Previous research has revealed that teaching self-efficacy could play a critical role in engaging students in integrated STEM education; however, teachers’ multiple identities in STEM education (i.e. implementers, disseminators, and designers) and their commitment with respect to the different identities have not been considered and examined. Purpose This study aimed to investigate STEM teachers’ self-efficacy and commitment as implementers, disseminators, and designers, and to explore the relationships between teachers’ self-efficacy and commitment with respect to the three identities. Sample 629 secondary STEM teachers completed a questionnaire that included the items of teachers’ background information and 46 items to measure their self-efficacy and commitment with respect to the three identities. Methods To compare the differences in teacher self-efficacy and commitment with respect to the three identities, repeated measures analyses of variance were used. A mixed-model analysis was conducted to examine the effects of both identity and experience with self-efficacy as a covariate on teacher commitment. Also, the structural equation modelling (SEM) method was employed to investigate the structural relationships within and between teacher self-efficacy and commitment with respect to the three identities. Results The results indicated that STEM teachers’ self-efficacy and commitment were influenced by their identities as well as their STEM teaching experience. STEM teachers’ self-efficacy and commitment to being implementers and designers were significantly higher than their self-efficacy and commitment to being disseminators. Additionally, the results of structural equation modelling indicated that teachers’ self-efficacy for the three identities was highly related, as was their commitment to the three identities. Self-efficacy of being disseminators had the largest impact on teacher commitment to being disseminators, designers and implementers. Conclusion The results highlight the importance of researching STEM teachers’ multiple identities, and suggest that STEM teachers’ different identities lead to different levels of self-efficacy and commitment.