Pre-Service Primary Teachers’ Science Teaching Efficacy Beliefs and Attitudes toward Science: The Effect of a Science Methods Course

This research examines the impact of a science methods course on the beliefs of female pre-service teachers (PSTs) in Saudi Arabia. Forty-seven female PSTs enrolled in a diploma of education programme at Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU) took a 16-week science methods course aimed at promoting their beliefs about their own self-efficacy, science teaching strategies, and science content knowledge (SCK). The PSTs completed a 30-item questionnaire on science teaching beliefs (five- point Likert Scale) both before and after taking the course. Data analysis revealed that the PSTs’ beliefs regarding their own self-efficacy changed after the course (statistically significant t=2.792, p 0.01) with scores indicating increased beliefs. Although increases were also observed for beliefs regarding science teaching methods and strategies and science content knowledge, they were very slight and not statistically significant. Overall, mean scores fell within the ‘neither agree nor disagree’ category for all three themes, ranging from 2.98 to 3.24. As one of the first studies in Saudi Arabia on PSTs’ science teaching beliefs, this research filled a gap in the existing literature. Grounded in the moderate scores for all three themes, recommendations for future science education course design are tendered as are suggestions for future research.

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ATTITUDES OF PRE-SERVICE SCIENCE TEACHERS TOWARDS EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AND THEIR SCIENCE TEACHING EFFICACY BELIEFS IN TURKEY

Journal of Baltic Science Education ◽

10.33225/jbse/15.14.183 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. 183-193

Author(s):

Nail Ilhan ◽

Zeynel Abidin Yilmaz ◽

Hülya Dede

Keyword(s):

Science Teaching ◽

Educational Research ◽

Science Teachers ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Teaching Efficacy ◽

Efficacy Beliefs ◽

Attitude Scale ◽

Service Science ◽

Efficacy Belief ◽

Science Teaching Efficacy

One of the most necessary teaching competencies for science teachers concerns their self-efficacy belief. It is also necessary for teachers to benefit from educational research in order to develop their science teaching efficacy beliefs. However, studies are restricted. This study aims to analyze the attitudes of pre-service science teachers towards educational research and their science teaching efficacy beliefs, and the relationship between the two variables according to some demographical (academic achievement, gender, and the type of high school they attended). The study was conducted according to the survey research design. Sample of the study includes 517 pre-service science teachers (final year students) at five different universities in Turkey. ‘Teachers Attitude Scale towards Educational Research [TASTER]’ and ‘Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument [STEBI]’ were used as data collection tools. The data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 18.0. Analysis of the data has revealed that there is a relationship between the attitudes of the pre-service science teachers towards educational research and their science teaching efficacy belief. Key words: attitude, educational research, self-efficacy, pre-service science teacher.

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Developing Pre-service Elementary Science Teachers’ Science Teaching Efficacy Beliefs through Microteaching by Promoting Efficacy Sources

International Journal on Social and Education Sciences ◽

10.46328/ijonses.124 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 3 (4) ◽

pp. 710-731

Author(s):

Tezcan Kartal ◽

Irem Dilek

Keyword(s):

Treatment Group ◽

Science Teaching ◽

Science Teachers ◽

Elementary Science ◽

Teaching Efficacy ◽

Efficacy Beliefs ◽

Student Outcome ◽

Control Group ◽

Elementary Science Teachers ◽

Science Teaching Efficacy

Science teaching efficacy belief (STEB) is of paramount importance as it motivates teachers to teach science or hinders them from teaching science. Pre-service teachers' efficacy beliefs may change during their method courses. Knowing how pre-service teachers' beliefs change over time can significantly contribute to teacher educators to improve teacher efficacy. This study examined the effect of microteaching on pre-service elementary science teachers' STEB. Pretest-posttest control group design was utilized. Data was collected using the Science Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument (STEBI-B) developed by Enochs and Riggs (1990) both at the beginning and end of the study. The treatment group planned and taught mini-lessons. The lessons were videotaped and evaluated in detail by watching the videotapes. The microteachers replanned and retaught the mini-lessons based on the feedback. The microteaching practices were conducted to support efficacy sources. The control group only planned and taught mini-lessons and received brief and undetailed feedback. Results showed significant differences in participants' personal science teaching efficacy beliefs and student outcome expectancy beliefs in terms of the treatment group. The STEB scores of the control group also decreased at the end of the study. It is suggested that pre-service teachers should have the opportunity to reflect on their performances, artifacts, or lesson plans and to design them several times.

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