Abstract
This study sought to explore the science efficacy beliefs of in-service teachers from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) (n = 226), Pakistan (n = 130), and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) (n = 99) by administering the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (STEBI-B) in a cross-sectional survey research design. A comparison of the three datasets indicated differences in terms of teachers’ personal science teaching efficacy (PSTE) and science teaching outcome expectancy efficacy (STOE). Teachers’ academic qualifications and experience showed relevance with the PSTE and STOE of the KSA sample but did not show relevance for UAE and Pakistan. These results have implications for teacher education programs in all three countries, which need to strengthen their teaching content and make science teachers more efficacious in order to bring about positive changes in students’ science learning. Other recommendations include: providing culturally tailored teacher education that respects the role of cultural adaptation, nationality, gender, academic qualifications, and years of teaching experience; and introducing effective professional development models to strengthen science teachers’ efficacy beliefs.
Highlights
The exploration of science teachers’ efficacy beliefs from educationally emerging trans-national contexts is a topic of interest to many discipline-based education researchers and policy makers
Other recommendations include: providing culturally tailored teacher education that respects the role of cultural adaptation, nationality, gender, academic qualifications, and years of teaching experience; and introducing effective professional development models to strengthen science teachers’ efficacy beliefs
The results showed significant differences along all four variables between the self-efficacy beliefs of male and female teachers, teachers with different academic qualifications, primary and secondary teachers, and public and private sector teachers
Summary
The exploration of science teachers’ efficacy beliefs from educationally emerging trans-national contexts is a topic of interest to many discipline-based education researchers and policy makers. As part of the Gulf States’ respective national vision programs on human capital development (Barnett, 2015; Nurunnabi, 2017), schools are emphasizing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education as part of their curriculum, especially as a prerequisite for higher education (Ahmad, Vig & Dhingra, 2012). In this regard, educational policymakers in the Gulf region have emphasized the importance of the quality of teachers’ education in order to make a difference in students’ learning outcomes. Well-educated teachers are necessary to enable assessment at an international standardized achievement level, including the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the Programme for International Student
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