Investigating Preservice Elementary Teachers’ Subject-Specific Self-Efficacy in Teaching Science

Adam Ali Al Sultan

doi:10.29333/ejmste/7801

Abstract

Self-efficacy plays a key role in determining teaching practices. Still, concerns regarding the low science self-efficacy beliefs held by elementary teachers have raised questions about the effectiveness of teacher preparation programs. Previous research has been restricted to labeling preservice elementary teachers as having high, medium, or low science teaching self-efficacy. Few extended efforts have been made to clearly distinguish preservice elementary teachers’ subject-specific lack of confidence in teaching science. The present study aimed to investigate preservice elementary teachers’ subject-specific self-efficacy in teaching science using a mixed-method research design. The participants included 55 preservice elementary teachers at a university in the United States. Quantitative data were collected using the Beliefs About Teaching instrument, and interviews were used to collect qualitative data. The results showed that the participants had the highest self-efficacy level in biology, followed by earth science, chemistry, and physics. Four themes emerged from the participants’ reasons for feeling more confident in teaching biology concepts than physics: education experience, teacher experience, subject comprehension, and subject relevance. This study highlights the essential role played by teacher preparation programs in providing ample opportunities for preservice elementary teachers to develop a strong understanding of the content and teaching methods of all science subjects.

Highlights

Teacher preparation programs around the world strive to ensure that their preservice teachers demonstrate effective instruction
The quantitative data showed that the participants had the highest self-efficacy level in biology, followed by earth science, chemistry, and physics
The evidence from this study suggests that preservice elementary teachers’ low self-efficacy beliefs in teaching science may be due to a lack of confidence in teaching a specific science subject rather than science in general

Summary

Introduction

Teacher preparation programs around the world strive to ensure that their preservice teachers demonstrate effective instruction. In the context of elementary education, preparing preservice elementary teachers to teach science successfully is a fundamental issue. Elementary preservice teachers are expected to teach all subject areas in their classrooms; the quality of instruction at the elementary level depends on preparing teachers with appropriate content knowledge and pedagogical skills as well as providing them with positive beliefs about teaching these subjects during their teacher preparation programs. Several researchers have argued that achieving the necessary content knowledge, pedagogical skills, and positive beliefs toward teaching all subject areas is challenging. Velthuis et al (2014) asserted that teacher education programs are challenged to prepare their preservice elementary teachers to realize high teaching self-efficacy in all subjects, such as reading, writing, and math. As Bursal (2010) argued, it is highly unlikely that elementary teachers are well prepared to feel positive about teaching all subjects areas, especially in the sciences

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