Preservice Preschool Teachers’ Self-efficacy in and Need for STEM Education Professional Development: STEM Pedagogical Belief as a Mediator

Abstract

This study analyzed early childhood preservice teachers’ specific components of self-efficacy to provide a more exhaustive comprehension of the relationships among STEM self-efficacy, pedagogical belief, and the self-reported need for professional development (PD). The participants were undergraduate or graduate preservice teachers recruited from the early childhood education department of a university in Taiwan. The research used instruments including the Teacher STEM Self-efficacy Scale, Teacher STEM Pedagogical Belief Scale, and Need for PD Scale to collect the data. In total, 150 preservice preschool teachers completed the survey. MANOVA and structural equation modeling were used to analyze the data. The results revealed that preservice teachers’ scores on STEM self-efficacy and the three components of self-efficacy were positively correlated with their STEM pedagogical beliefs and self-reported need for PD. Furthermore, affective attitude predicted teachers’ need for PD directly or indirectly through STEM pedagogical belief. In addition, the result indicated that STEM pedagogical belief acted as an intermediary in the association between the two components of self-efficacy (“cognitive concept” and “affective attitude”) and the self-reported need for PD. However, STEM pedagogical belief cannot mediate the relationship between the “equipped skill” component of self-efficacy and the self-reported need for PD. Preservice preschool teachers who had STEM teaching experience, reported interests in STEM, or participated in STEM-related activities had higher levels of STEM self-efficacy in terms of cognitive concept, affective attitude, and equipped skill. Based on these findings, the researchers provide suggestions for future research and practical implications in teacher development program.