Science Self-efficacy Research Articles

RELATIONSHIPS AMONG SENSE OF COMMUNITY, SCIENCE SELF-EFFICACY, AND SCIENCE IDENTITY FOR FEMALE MEYERHOFF SCHOLARS: IMPLICATIONS FOR PATHWAYS TO BROADENING THE WORKFORCE IN STEM

Women remain underrepresented in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, even with the plethora of programs to increase diversity. Understanding the undergraduate experience for female students of color majoring in STEM is critical for determining effective strategies for retention and smooth career pathways. Using data from 96 (predominantly) African-American female and Latina students in the Meyerhoff Scholars Program at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, this study quantitatively examined the relationships among sense of community, science self-efficacy, and science identity. Mediation models were run on all female STEM majors in the dataset. There was a positive and significant indirect effect of sense of program community on science identity via science self-efficacy. The results of this study enhance our understanding of how female Meyerhoff students with a strong sense of program community thrive in STEM. It adds support to previous studies of the positive impact that student-focused programs that address multiple areas of students of color needs and challenges have on psychosocial variables important to student success. This study provides further insight into the critical work of retaining female undergraduate students of color in STEM programs and ensuring their success along the pathway to a STEM career.

Compilation of 'Suggestions' Section in Postgraduate Theses with Scientific Research Theme in Educational Sciences

This study aims to compile the suggestions in the postgraduate theses prepared with the theme of "scientific research (SR) in Turkey between 2000-2022 years. In the study, 4 sub-themes were chosen for the scientific research theme; "scientific research methods (SRM)”, "scientific research processes (SRP)", "scientific consistency (SC)", and "scientific self-efficacy, (SSE)". The data were obtained from the suggestions sections of the studies conducted for the keywords obtained by so-called sub-themes at the Higher Education National Thesis Center (HENTC). The document analysis method was used in the research. A total of 40 theses including 27 master's and 13 doctoral theses were compiled and reviewed in the study. Then the findings obtained by using the MAXQDA 18 package program were mapped as the percentage (%) and frequency (F) values. In the research, theses written for 4 different groups were investigated; teachers, pre-service teachers, middle school students, and graduate students. Accordingly, the findings were arranged according to the groups and interpreted. Accordingly, in studies on teachers, it was obtained findings about the need for in-service training to be given to teachers to be more experienced in scientific research and to conduct research on a wider scale. Secondly, in studies conducted for pre-service teachers, it was determined that updates should be made to include more scientific research in the curricula for pre-service teachers. On the other hand in the studies conducted for secondary school students, it was concluded that experiments and laboratory activities would contribute to students' learning of scientific processes. And finally, in the studies on graduate students, it was determined that there was a consensus that the hours and subjects of scientific research courses should be increased.

INFLUENCE OF TEACHERS' ATTITUDE ON STUDENTS' SELF-EFFICACY IN OGBOMOSO, NIGERIA

The teachers' attitude matters in performance of students. The literature revealed that teachers' attitudes could influence students' self-efficacy and, subsequently, their academic performance. To determine if teachers' views affect their students' self-efficacy, this study looked at this question. Teachers have prominent roles in helping students develop basic concepts,connect their interests to their abilities, and sustain their curiosity from early years. Research on descriptive surveys used proportional and stratified sampling methods. Teachers' Attitude Questionnaire and Science Self-Efficacy and Motivated Learning Questionnaire were used to gather the data (SSMLQ). Three (3) research questions and three developed and tested hypotheses were posed. At a significance level of 0.05, acquired data were analyzed using mean scores, chi-square, and regression analysis. Results revealed a positive (but not significant) relationship between (i) teachers' attitudes and students' self-efficacy, (ii) teachers' gender has no significant relationship with students' academic self-efficacy. conclusion is that teachers' attitudes did not significantly influence self-efficacy of students. So, It was suggested that biology teachers be urged to have the proper mindset as an attitude to foster students' sense of self-efficacy.

Investigation of virtual & augmented reality classroom learning environments in university STEM education

ABSTRACT This study investigates the use of virtual and augmented reality (VAR) in higher education on students’ self-efficacy in science and engineering, and academic performance. An innovative VAR classroom is set up as an immersive and interactive learning environment at Nanyang Technological University for curriculum-based learning. This classroom is equipped with 6 individual VR displays and headsets, where high-end computers are connected to each display providing the computational power required for VAR technology. 46 undergraduate engineering students experience the VAR lessons over the course of 5 weeks. The self-efficacy and academic performance of the students are measured for quantitative analysis with surveys and regular (pre-/post-) tests as they participated in the lessons. Post-lesson focus-group discussions and interviews are conducted for qualitative analysis. The data analysis shows a significant increase in students’ self-efficacy levels and academic performance after 5 weeks of VAR lessons. It is found that the collaborative, interactive and immersive nature of the VAR learning environment enriches students’ learning experiences and thus contributes to their learning effectiveness. The study provides insights into how the VAR learning environment affects undergraduate students’ learning, and how the VAR system can be deployed for effective STEM education

Designing A Science Lesson: Developing Pre-service Teachers' Lesson Planning Skills Based on Real-life Context-based Approach

In this study, it was aimed to support pre-service primary and science teachers’ ability to implement real-life context-based course design in the 5E Model and to use current science education approaches in lesson designs. For this purpose, action research, one of the qualitative research types, was adopted. 13 pre-service primary and science teachers participated in the research. The data of the study were obtained from pre-post measurements, lesson plans developed by the pre-service teachers and observations made by the researchers as participant observers. The data were analyzed with descriptive and content analysis methods. The preliminary results show that pre-service teachers could not use basic teaching approaches such as the real-life contextual approach, nature of science,
 scientific reasoning, STEM activities, Web 2.0 tools, laboratory implementations. At the end of the trainings, pre-service teachers’ competencies in preparing a science lesson plan based on context-based science teaching and in accordance with the current and basic science education paradigm increased significantly. This study supported the pre-service teachers’ science self-efficacy for introducing current practices related to science teaching during their undergraduate education to become classroom and science teachers and to gain skills on how to reflect these practices in lesson plans. The findings indicate that there is a need for practical training in teacher training due to field studies in Turkey, and that pre-service teachers should adopt the 21st century science teaching approach.

The Relationship between Science Teacher Candidates’ Attitudes towards Teaching Profession and Their Self-Efficacy Beliefs towards Teaching Science

This study was aimed to examine the relationship between pre-service science teachers' attitudes toward the teaching profession, their learning styles, and their self-efficacy beliefs toward teaching science. The sample of the research consisted of 127 teacher candidates studying in the Science Education Department of a state university in the 2020-2021 academic year. The data collection tool in the research was the Science Teaching Self-Efficacy Belief Scale; Kolb Learning Style Inventory III and Attitude towards Teaching Profession Scale were used. The research model is the relational survey model, which is under the general survey model. In the survey method, the aim is to uncover a statement in detail. The analysis of the data was carried out with the SPSS statistical program. In the study, it was determined that pre-service science teachers generally have an assimilating learning style, and their learning styles differ according to their grade levels but not according to their gender. In the study, it was determined that teacher candidates generally have a positive attitude toward the teaching profession and their attitudes differ according to their grade levels but not according to their gender. In the study, it was determined that teacher candidates generally have a positive attitude towards the teaching profession and their attitudes differ according to their grade levels but not according to their gender. In addition, the pre-service science teachers' self-efficacy beliefs in science teaching were at a "sufficient" level; significant differences were found in the sub-dimensions of science self-efficacy, belief in efficacy, and outcome expectation, according to gender and grade levels. In addition, a significant relationship was found between pre-service teachers' attitudes toward the teaching profession and their learning styles. There is a positive but low-level relationship between pre-service teachers' level of result expectation, which is the science self-efficacy sub-dimension, and their attitudes towards the teaching profession; No significant relationship was found between the level of efficacy belief, which is the sub-dimension of science self-efficacy, and the attitude towards the teaching profession.

THE EFFECTS OF CROSS-DISCIPLINARY LIFE SCIENCE INNOVATION IMPLEMENTED BY STUDENTS' STIMULATED STRATEGIES FOR PBL-STEM SELF-EFFICACY

This research used mixed effects to construct a PBL-STEM (problem-based learning with STEM) questionnaire with high validity and reliability. The benefits of PBL-STEM focused on cross-disciplinary and longitudinal research to analyze students' self-efficacy in life science. All 175 university students who attended this course as an elective participated in this research. The purpose was to evaluate students' performance in the cake-baking practice experiential course and to use unpaired samples t-test, one-way ANOVA, and feedback analysis as quantitative and qualitative data. The following are noteworthy results: The t-test showed that five stimulated scales were significantly different and better after the cake-baking PBL-STEM activity. In one-way ANOVA, to engage with more students in STEM activities, improve conceptual learning, and close achievement gaps. The more enthusiastic students are, the more actively they study and think, and the more effectively they improve their PBL-STEM learning. Students' feedback analysis of this teaching activity is beneficial for improving technology, student-teacher engagement, process comprehension, and learning interest. The light of this research will foster a disposition of learning, enhance cake-baking skills, and encourage problem-solving based on their thinking. Keywords: cross-disciplinary, life science, PBL-STEM, self-efficacy

An Innovative Biomedical Research Training Model: Rationale, Design, and Evaluation.

Much is told regarding the need for greater diversity in the biomedical research workforce in terms of race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. However, there are few evidence-based models that are tested and can have significant effects in this regard. Thus, there is a need for development and evaluation of innovative models that may help train a more diverse biomedical research workforce. In this study, we provided the rationale, conceptual model, and preliminary evaluation of a program called "A Student-Centered Entrepreneurship Development (ASCEND)". This training program was designed, implemented, and evaluated between 2017 and 2020 at Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States. The program's conceptual model is based on four stages: Attraction and Inspiration, Ideation and Innovation, Research Implementation, and Career Growth. Results of the comparative survey between 50 students who participated in ASCEND and 86 non-member controls showed an increase in science identity, academic self-concept, science self-efficacy, and peer support. The only domain that did not show a larger increase in participants in our program compared to controls was social self-concept. In addition, a total of 59 students submitted 48 research concepts, and 16 undergraduate student projects were funded. Of participants in the Health Research Concepts Competition, 39 students graduated, and 13 were pursuing graduate programs in STEM fields at the time of evaluation. The number of research projects and trainees who started a graduate degree were also reported. The ASCEND training model fosters an entrepreneurial mindset among undergraduate students. Such a program might be effective in diversifying the biomedical research workforce. While this preliminary evaluation indicates the efficacy of the ASCEND model, there is a need for further long-term and multi-center evaluations with the trainees' research productivity and receipt of independent funding as outcomes.

Children and Parents' Perceptions of Access to Science Tools at Home and Their Role in Science Self-efficacy.

Families play a vital role in the development of the science interests and career aspirations of youth. Of particular interest ishow a family's science capital and science habitus impact how children see themselves in relation to science. One aspect ofscience capital that has emerged as foundational in children's levels of science self-efficacy and academic self-concept is theiraccess to science related tools outside of school. To learn more about the role of science tools in building the future scienceinterests of youth, this exploratory study examined reported access to science-related tools and tool experiences for 89participants (44 parents and 45 children). The results showed that more than half of the children reported a lack of homeaccess to science tools such as a meter stick, compass, or scale. There were significant differences in reported access toscience tools for African American and Latino/a youth. The reported access to tools for youth was significantly correlated withtheir science achievement value score (a measure of self-efficacy and self-concept). When comparing child and parent reportedtool access, the parents noted having significantly more tools at home than the child participants. The findings from this studysuggest that parents should provide opportunities for their children to explore these common household tools on their own aswell as in family contexts. Having prior experiences with science tools outside of school is an important form of science capitalthat could foster success for children in the science classroom.

A Mixed-Methods Exploration of Mastery Goal Support in 7th-Grade Science Classrooms

Mastery goal structures, which communicate value for developing deeper understanding, are an important classroom support for student motivation and engagement, especially in the context of science learning aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards. Prior research has identified key dimensions of goal structures, but a more nuanced examination of the variability of teacher-enacted and student-perceived goal structures within and across classrooms is needed. Using a concurrent mixed-methods approach, we developed case studies of how three 7th-grade science teachers enacted different goal structures while teaching the same chemistry unit and how their students perceived these goal structures. Student perceptions were largely consistent with our observational analysis and suggested that a positive social climate and autonomy support are important elements of mastery goal structure. However, balancing socio-emotional support with sufficient academic rigor may be especially important for students with high levels of mastery goal orientation and self-efficacy in science. Implications for research include the need for further research linking classroom stimuli to variability in perceived goal structure, especially across students with different motivational characteristics. Implications for practice include strategies for science teachers to promote perceptions of a mastery goal focus in students, particularly through feedback and recognition practices.

Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students’ motivation to continue in senior science: An expectancy value theory and intersectional identity approach

Researchers have noted a persistent decline in Australian students’ participation in senior science in secondary school (Year 12). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) students are significantly less likely to continue with science, in part because western science and the present science curriculum have ignored and delegitimized Indigenous knowledges and cultures as “unempirical.” Moreover, Indigenous students who sit at multiple marginalized science identities (i.e., girls, low socio-economic background) may be less likely to continue with science. Drawing on expectancy value theory and considering intersectional identity, this study examined the extent to which Indigenous students’ science self-efficacy, intrinsic value, and utility value predicted their Y12 science enrolment and science subject selection, and if these associations were moderated by gender or socio-economic status. Multi-class logistic regression and multi-group path analysis were conducted with n = 334 Indigenous students and n = 2,801 non-Indigenous students. Utility value predicted Y12 participation and self-efficacy predicted science subject selection for Indigenous students. Socio-economic status was a significant moderator. Findings suggest that particular attention should be paid to these factors to better support Indigenous students in science.

The Mediating Role of Task Value in Relationship between Self-Efficacy and Approach Goals Orientations in Science

The current study aims to investigate whether there is a meaningful effect of self-efficacy and task value on the achievement approach goals in learning science. In line with this purpose, a correlational method was used in the current study. The participants of this study were 310 middle school students from six public schools (close to each other in terms of socio-economic level and opportunities) in different districts of Erzurum in Turkey. Data were collected through two previously validated instruments: The Achievement Goal Questionnaire and The Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (self-efficacy and task value subscales). The Achievement Goal Questionnaire was used to determine the students' approach goal orientations (mastery-approach and performance-approach) and The Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire scale was used to assess the students’ task value and self-efficacy perceptions. The data obtained were analyzed in two parts. In the first part, SPSS is used for descriptive statistics about variables. The structural Equation Model was used to test the proposed model in the second part. The results of the study have shown that self-efficacy and task value influence the level of students’ mastery and performance approach goals. Besides, task value has a partial mediating effect on the relationship between self-efficacy and achievement approach goals. The results of the study were discussed according to the relevant literature.

Southeast Asian Students’ Perspective in Science and science education

The study describes the attitudes and beliefs towards science and science education of Year 9 and 10 Southeast Asian students including gender and year level differences based on the seven categories. This study involved Year 9 and 10 students from seven SEAMEO countries. Out of 5,375 samples selected, 2,158 were boys and 3,217 were girls. There were seven categories in the survey instrument that was administered, including students’ perceptions about: (1) science; (2) science outside school; (3) science topics; (4) scientist vocation; (5) self-efficacy in science; (6) teaching and learning science; as well as (7) future participation in science. The analyses showed that generally students had positive attitudes on categories such as: science, science outside school, teaching and learning science, scientist vocation, science topics and future participation in science. However, in general, the students in this region had slightly low self-efficacy in science in which included items such as science as a difficult subject and science classes are boring. The results also showed that Year 9 and boys acted more positively than Year 10 and girls in the attitudes and beliefs towards science. Further research and recommendations are explored. The findings would be used as a tool to revise the national science curriculum of the participating countries in terms of content standards and inform teachers of how teaching and learning practices can be aligned with students’ attitudes and perceptions to obtain better learning outcomes. The research findings could also be used as a springboard for further research exploring deeper the variables affecting students’ success in science and providing intervention for teachers’ training curriculum and continuing professional development in terms of technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) that would increase the interest of students in learning and exploring science.

Gains in Scientific Identity, Scientific Self-Efficacy, and Career Intent Distinguish Upper-Level CUREs from Traditional Experiences in the Classroom.

Attrition from the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) pipeline limits the number of graduates needed to meet STEM workforce demand and impedes efforts to diversify the workforce. Identifying factors that underlie academic success and STEM persistence is an important component to increasing the number of STEM graduates. The current study utilizes the social influence process indicators of the Tripartite Integration Model of Social Influence to investigate effects of course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) participation and to predict career intent in a diverse population. CURE participants experienced significant gains in scientific self-efficacy, scientific identity, and career intent, while students in control courses did not. Between-groups analysis showed that scientific self-efficacy and scientific identity increased significantly more for CURE participants than for non-CURE participants. Regression analysis revealed that scientific identity was the only significant predictor of a student's career intent. This work underscores the central importance of prioritizing scientific identity in STEM curricula to improve throughput in the STEM pipeline and illustrates the usefulness of CUREs as viable interventions to positively influence factors that promote STEM career intent.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Lockdown on Parents and their Adolescent Children in Relation to Science Learning.

With the transition to distance-learning at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, several countries required parents and their children to remain at home, under lockdown. Many parents found themselves taking on additional responsibilities regarding their children’s education. However, children do not always interpret their parents’ intentions as they intended. This study investigated this complex relationship, showing that parents’ emphases regarding science learning changed during the first COVID-19 lockdown and in parallel, the relations between these emphases and their adolescent children’s goal orientation and self-efficacy toward science learning also changed. In 2019, one year before the COVID-19 lockdown, the children’s mastery and performance orientations toward science, and their self-efficacy in science were significantly correlated with their parent’s attitudes toward science. In 2020, shortly after the end of the first COVID-19 lockdown, these relations remained significant, but in addition the parents’ emphasis on performance became a significant predictor of the children’s mastery and performance orientations, and of their self-efficacy in science. A small increase in the children’s performance orientation and self-efficacy in science was seen, and only a small decline in their mastery orientation toward science. These findings contrast with what the literature indicates is typical at this age, when there are no lockdown conditions.

Service learning and self-efficacy in exercise science: outcomes of a community fitness training program involving undergraduate Exercise Science students.

There is increasing awareness of the importance of civic engagement in higher education. Service-learning activities in undergraduate programs, in particular, have been linked to positive academic outcomes and gains in various forms of self-efficacy. Exercise Science students at our university complete two service-learning courses as part of the curriculum, each of which involves implementing a structured 12-week individualized fitness training program with a community member client. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of these service-learning experiences on Exercise Science students' self-efficacy for fitness assessment and exercise prescription. Students completed a seven-item self-efficacy questionnaire administered at both the beginning and end of each service-learning course and reflected on their experience using an end-of-course survey. Our results showed significant improvements in self-efficacy from pretest to posttest for each of the two service-learning experiences, with the second experience producing additional gains in self-efficacy over and above the first. Students also reported improved confidence in their fitness assessment and exercise prescription skills in the end-of-course survey. Community members involved in the fitness training program reported a positive experience with students' knowledge of fitness assessment and exercise prescription as well as their own progression to independence in a home exercise program. Our findings highlight the benefits of including a structured service-learning experience in the Exercise Science curriculum.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study was done to investigate the effect of a structured fitness training experience on Exercise Science students' self-efficacy for fitness assessment and exercise prescription. Our results indicate a significant improvement in self-efficacy from pretest to posttest. Students also reported improved confidence in their fitness assessment and exercise prescription skills. Community members reported a positive experience with students' knowledge of fitness assessment and exercise prescription and their progression to independence in a home exercise program.

Analysis of Students' Self Efficacy in Science Learning

Distrust of students’ abilities will have an impact on the process and expected results in learning. With self-efficacy in students, it will require students to behave steadily and effectively in learning. This study aims to identify students’ self-efficacy in learning science. Students are expected to have self-potential and develop a level of confidence in their ability to do or achieve learning goals. The survey research was conducted on 30 students of class IX SMPN in Padang City. Data was collected using a questionnaire based on self efficacy indicators with 15 questions. The results of the analysis of the data obtained that the self-efficacy level of class IX students of SMPN in Padang City is 70.94 with a high category. This means that both teachers and students have actively worked together in the success of the science learning process in the classroom.

Do parents’ conceptions of learning science predict students’ approaches to learning science and their self-efficacy for learning science?

ABSTRACT Past studies have shown that students' conceptions of learning science (CLS) are related to their approaches to learning science (ALS) and to their self-efficacy for learning science (SELS), but it has not yet been studied whether parents' CLS play a role in children's ALS and SELS. This research investigated 472 pairs of Chinese high school students and their parents to identify the new predictive relationships among parents' CLS and students' ALS and SELS. In this study parents' CLS was divided into reproductive and constructivist conceptions. Students' ALS consisted of four factors, whereas SELS only extracted one factor. We found that (1) parents' constructivist CLS was positively associated with students' deep approaches; (2) parental reproductive CLS could positively predict students' surface strategies, while it was likely that the more constructive conceptions that parents held, the less their children would adopt surface strategies; (3) parental constructivist and reproductive CLS were both significant positive predictors of students' surface motive; and (4) parental CLS could make an indirect prediction through students' ALS. The findings indicate that parents should be cautious about the CLS they are portraying in their words and deeds to help foster their children's deep learning motive and strategies.

Comparison of Classification Performances of MARS and BRT Data Mining Methods: ABİDE- 2016 Case

This research examined the relationships between student, teacher, school and instructional qualifications and 8th grade students' science achievement, based on the conceptual framework created by Nilsen and Gustafsson (2016), using data mining methods MARS and BRT. Research data (n=10407 students, n=941 teachers and n=865 school administrators) were obtained from the ABİDE study conducted at the national level by the Ministry of National Education in 2016. MARS and BRT analyzes were performed in the SPM 8.2 program. The science achievement classification performances of these methods were compared by considering the correct classification rate, sensitivity and specificity rates, F1 statistical value and the area under the ROC curve. It was found that the BRT method was more successful than the MARS method in terms of all these criteria, and the most important predictors of science achievement were similar compared to these two methods. The results revealed that the most important predictors of science success are the student's perception of science self-efficacy, the father's occupation, the family's monthly income, the instructional activities of the teacher, the teacher's experience and preparation for the lesson, and the school administrators' perception of school climate. It is thought that the reason why BRT outperforms the MARS method in terms of the criteria considered in this study is that BRT learns from errors with the additive combination of various regression trees and provides a stronger classification performance by minimizing the errors that may occur in classification. This study revealed the benefits of using these two data mining methods in the field of Educational Sciences and discussed the contribution of the related methods in this field.

Measuring science self-efficacy with a focus on the perceived competence dimension: using mixed methods to develop an instrument and explore changes through cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses in high school

BackgroundIn many countries and regions, such as the United States, Europe and China, a trend has emerged in which students’ enthusiasm for STEM is declining. This decline may be related to students’ lack of science self-efficacy. An accurate examination of students’ science self-efficacy can provide a research foundation for how to cultivate it. This paper used mixed methods to develop a valid science self-efficacy scale for high school students, focusing on the perceived competence dimension. A cross-sectional analysis exploring and interpreting differences across grades and genders in science self-efficacy among high school students was conducted. Subsequently, a 1-year longitudinal study was conducted on the development of science self-efficacy in China.ResultsThis study developed a 24-item science self-efficacy instrument based on the Rasch model, and the validity of the instrument was assessed through multiple aspects, including face, content, construct, and predictive validity. This instrument was used to divide students' science self-efficacy into four different levels. A cross-sectional study examining 1564 high school students in 10th–12th grades revealed that students’ science self-efficacy exhibited a complex process of decreasing and then increasing by grade. Most girls’ science self-efficacy was higher than that of boys for Levels 1 and 4, while for the intermediate levels, i.e., Levels 2 and 3, most boys had higher science self-efficacy than girls. The quantitative and qualitative results of the longitudinal study through a 1-year follow-up of 233 high school students indicated that students’ science self-efficacy significantly improved. We revealed inconsistencies between cross-sectional and longitudinal studies of the change in science self-efficacy from 10 to 11th grade.ConclusionsThis study makes many contributions. First, we developed a science self-efficacy measurement instrument for high school students with high reliability and validity based on the Rasch model and characterized four different levels of student science self-efficacy. Second, the gender differences in science self-efficacy and the complex changes among grades were explained from the perspective of science self-efficacy level. Finally, students’ science self-efficacy significantly improved in the longitudinal study, which was explained by self-efficacy theory and the Chinese core competency-oriented science curriculum.