Class Teacher Students' Efficacy Beliefs Regarding Science Teaching and its Relation to their Understanding Level of Scientific Concepts

Abstract

This study mainly investigated class teacher students’
efficacy beliefs regarding science teaching and its relation to their
understanding level of scientific concepts. A total of 113 senior
preservice class teachers at the Faculty of Educational Sciences,
which is run by UNRWA in Jordan, participated in the study. The
study instruments were an achievement test, and the Science Teaching
Efficacy Belief Instrument (STEBI), which comprises two subscales:
Personal Science Teaching Efficacy Beliefs (PSTEB), and Science
Teaching Outcome Expectancy Beliefs (STOEB). The results indicated
that class teacher students had positive efficacy beliefs on both
subscales, whereas they showed low level of understanding scientific
concepts. Positive correlation had been detected between class
teacher students' understanding level of scientific concepts and their
PSTEB, whereas no correlation had been detected between class
teacher students' level of understanding scientific concepts and their
STOEB. The study recommended that teacher education programs
should employ appropriate teaching methods which modify the
alternative scientific concepts that preservice class teachers may hold.