The Effect of Biology Teachers’ Attitudes and Self-Efficacy Beliefs on Their Instructional Practices

Abstract

This study examined the impact of biology teachers' attitudes and self-efficacy beliefs on their instructional practices in senior high schools within the Upper East Region of Ghana. This study adopted a cross-sectional survey design. Purposive sampling technique was adopted for selecting the participants for the study. The sample size was made up of 106 biology teachers. The instrument for data collection was mainly questionnaires. The reliability of the questionnaires was assessed using Cronbach's Alpha, yielding a value of 0.78 for the Biology Teachers’ Self-Efficacy Scale (BTSES) and 0.76 for the Biology Teachers’ Attitude Scale (BTAS). These values indicated acceptable internal consistency and reliability for data collection. Findings of the study proved that that biology teachers exhibit high self-efficacy, particularly in explaining complex processes and inspiring student curiosity, with a mean self-efficacy score of 4.52. Additionally, teachers maintain positive attitudes across cognitive, behavioural, and affective domains, contributing to supportive and engaging learning environments. The study recommended that biology teachers should engage in continuous professional development and collaborate with peers to enhance their teaching strategies and self-efficacy. The study also recommended that policy makers should implement comprehensive teacher training programs focused on both pedagogy and biology content knowledge, and encourage further research on teacher self-efficacy and attitudes.