Personal Science Teaching Efficacy Research Articles

Assessment of Science Teaching Efficacy of Preservice Teachers in an Australian University

Research investigating science teaching efficacy was conducted in 1 Australian university. A sample of 314 elementary preservice teachers responded to the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (STEBI; L. G. Enochs & I. M. Riggs, 1990), which assesses 2 teaching efficacy dimensions: Personal Science Teaching Efficacy Beliefs (PSTEB) and Science Teaching Outcome Expectancy (STOE). Confirmatory factor analysis substantiated this 2-factor structure. The use of this instrument revealed that the completion of 2 science teaching subjects within the preservice program had a significant effect on the PSTEB, but not the STOE. Similarly, the number of high school science subjects studied by these elementary preservice teachers had a significant effect on PSTEB, but not STOE. However, neither gender nor the particular high school science subjects studied by these elementary preservice teachers had a significant effect on either the PSTEB or the STOE.

An Extended Examination of Preservice Elementary Teachers' Science Teaching Self‐Efficacy

The purpose of this study was to examine programmatic factors that positively impact changes in elementary preservice teachers' teaching self‐efficacy beliefs. Specifically, it examined the impact of science methods courses, student teaching, and science content courses on elementary preservice teachers' science teaching self‐efficacy. The Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument Form B was administered, using a pre/post design, to undergraduate elementary education majors in specific education and science content courses. A total of 399 responses were collected, of which 172 had matching pre/post surveys suitable for analysis. Students in the science content courses and student teaching seminar showed no significant change in either the Personal Science Teaching Efficacy (PSTE) or the Science Teaching Outcome Expectancy scales during the time they were enrolled in the classes. Significant gains in PSTE were found for students enrolled in the science methods course. The specific design of the education program and methods course may be responsible for these changes.

Psychometric characteristics of the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Inventory in South Africa.

The psychometric properties of the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Inventory are reported, based on responses of 200 (88 men and 112 women) elementary science teachers in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Previous factor analytic studies of this inventory have identified a two-factor solution but this has not been investigated in a South African context. The reliability estimated as internal consistency (Cronbach alpha) was .87. Principal components analysis with varimax rotation indicated a two-factor solution accounting for 38.1% of variance, with Cronbach alphas of .92 and .73 for the Personal Science Teaching Efficacy Belief subscale (Factor 1) and the Science Teaching Outcome Expectancy subscale (Factor 2), respectively. Principal components analysis of the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Inventory yielded two conceptually meaningful components, similar to those reported in literature. Although one item did not meet the conditions for acceptance, this inventory may be useful in understanding science teachers' efficacy beliefs in South Africa. These particular findings are preliminary but hopeful. Studies using confirmatory analysis to address the cross-national invariance of this inventory are needed.

Preservice elementary teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs and their conceptions of photosynthesis and inheritance

The purpose of this study was to examine preservice elementary teachers’ understanding of the concepts of photosynthesis and inheritance, to explore their self-efficacy beliefs in the teaching of science, and to investigate the relationship between these two issues. Data was gathered through the use of a misconception instrument and science teaching efficacy beliefs instruments. Seventy-nine preservice elementary teachers participated in this study. The results showed that participants held alternative conceptions regarding photosynthesis and inheritance and have generally positive self-efficacy beliefs regarding science teaching. The results also suggested that those participants with fewer alternative conceptions regarding photosynthesis had relatively high personal science teaching efficacy. Teachers are clearly a central component for student success in learning science; however, in 1983, Feistritzer and Boyer reported that among elementary teachers, understanding science concepts was at a low level. Previous studies have shown that elementary teachers often have negative attitudes toward science (Shrigley, 1974), have science anxiety (Czerniak & Chiarelott, 1990), have low science interest (Tilgner, 1990), and do not have confidence in their ability to teach science (DeTure, Gregory, & Ramsey, 1990). Studies also have found that elementary teachers generally possess a low level of knowledge regarding the concepts, facts, and skills concerning science (Stevens & Wenner, 1996; Victor, 1962; Wenner, 1993). A number of studies have documented that both preservice and inservice elementary teachers frequently hold alternative conceptions (or misconceptions) for a variety of science concepts and harbor misunderstandings (Atwood & Atwood, 1996; Schoon, 1993; Schoon & Boone, 1998). This often causes elementary teachers to avoid teaching science to children (Czerniak & Chiarelott, 1990; Westerback, 1982) or to spend less time teaching science in comparison to other subjects (Westerback, 1982).

An Examination of Change in Teacher Self-Efficacy Beliefs in Science Education Based on the Duration of Inservice Activities

Researchers investigated the optimum length of teacher inservice activities where increasing teacher efficacy was the goal. Participants were elementary science teachers from seven teacher enhancement projects conducted from 1992-99. The length breakdown of each program was: 1992--6 weeks; 1994--6 weeks; 1995--4 weeks; 1996--4 weeks; 1997--4 weeks; 1998--3 weeks; and 1999--2 weeks. In each of the projects, teachers completed the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (STEBI) on the first and last days of the inservice workshops. The STEBI examined personal science teaching efficacy (PSTE) and science teaching outcome expectancy. Data analysis indicated that there was no statistically significant difference between the mean PSTE gain scores on the three contrast variables among the four groups of teachers whose PSTE pretest scores were greater than or equal to 50. This may be due to the fact that teachers already scored high on the PSTE scale. Among teachers whose pretest PSTE scores were less than 50, there were significant gains when comparing the mean gain scores from teachers in the land 3-week sessions and teachers in the 4and 6-week sessions. It was found that inservice intervention programs had the greatest impact on the efficacy of those teachers who began the program with the lowest efficacy. Given the consistent relationships demonstrated between teacher efficacy and positive student outcomes, inservices impacting teachers' low efficacy are worth close examination. (Contains 32 references and 8 tables.) (SM) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.

Understanding the learning cycle: Influences on abilities to embrace the approach by preservice elementary school teachers

The purpose of this study was to deepen science teacher educators' knowledge about the process of instilling the learning cycle within the teaching repertoire of elementary education majors. A previous study revealed great variability in preservice teachers' capacity to understand the learning cycle; the current study was designed to explore factors contributing to this situation. Attitudes toward science and teaching efficacy were posited to explain the rate at which students grasped this instructional approach. Understanding of the learning cycle was found to be predictable by science teaching outcome expectancy but not by personal science teaching efficacy nor attitudes toward science. Significant increases in both measures of efficacy were discovered and individual efficacy scores at the end of the methods course were correlated significantly with scores on the learning cycle instrument. These data suggest that preservice teachers' belief in their ability to shape students' science learning can accurately foretell their potential for embracing the learning cycle as a viable teaching approach. In addition, instruction about the learning cycle appears to contribute to the teaching efficacy of preservice teachers. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Sci Ed 84:43–50, 2000.

A qualitative study of factors influencing science teaching self-efficacy of elementary level teachers

Science teaching self-efficacy may be one area of importance which has been over-looked in implementing change to improve science teaching in elementary schools. This qualitative study was designed to examine factors which influence personal science teaching efficacy and science teaching outcome expectancy in elementary teachers. Based on Bandura's psychological construct of self-efficacy, science teaching self-efficacy has been related to teachers' belief in their ability to teach science, called personal science teaching efficacy (PSTE), and their belief in students' ability to learn, called science teaching outcome expectancy (STOE). Data were collected from 23 elementary teachers involved in a project to enhance science, mathematics, and technology education. Initially, data on variables identified as related to science teaching self-efficacy were collected and triangulated from several self-reporting instruments, including the Science Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument, In-service version (STEBI-A) Teachers' scores on personal science teaching efficacy (PSTE) and science teaching outcome expectancy (STOE), two subscales of the STEBI-A, along with other data were used to develop in depth interview questions. Ten of the teachers, with varying PSTE and STOE levels (high, moderate, and low), were purposefully selected for interviews regarding their teacher preparation, professional development, and science-related antecedent experiences. The qualitative data analysis methods of constant-comparison and clustering were used to identify patterns and themes within the interview data. Qualitative analysis of triangulated data provided insights as to development of PSTE and STOE. Results of the interview analysis revealed more definitive findings for the dimension of personal science teaching efficacy than for science teaching outcome expectancy. Theme in the data indicated that antecedent experiences influenced interest in science teaching. Preservice and in-service experiences such as success in high quality science courses and workshops, access to a lesser degree STOE. Findings on experiences which influenced STOE were limited. Implications for early science experiences, teacher preparation and teacher professional development are presented. Recommendations for further research are made for PSTE and STOE. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Changes in Preservice Elementary Teachers' Sense of Efficacy in Teaching Science

This paper reports progress to date on a longitudinal study of changes in preservice teachers' sense of efficacy in teaching science. The study involved procedures designed to validate, in an Australian context, the Science Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument (STEBI‐B) comprised of two scales: Personal Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Scale (STE) and Science Teaching Outcome Expectancy Scale (STO). Concomitantly, the instrument was used to monitor changes in teachers' sense of science teaching efficacy employing a pretest and repeated posttest, one group research design. The subjects were students enrolled in a three‐year Bachelor of Teaching (Primary) program. Correlations between pretest scores on STEBI‐B and other measures of personal beliefs and behaviors, namely academic self concept and academic locus of control, supported the validity of STEBI‐B. The results indicate that, over three semesters of the program, there was significant difference between the pretest and posttest scores on the STE scale. Possible explanations of the results obtained are discussed and evaluated and a justification for further long term research into teachers' sense of efficacy in teaching science is provided. Implications of the results for the teaching of elementary school science are discussed.