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A Review of the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument A: In-service Teachers

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The Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instruments (STEBI A and B)

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Abstract

At a time where scientifically literate citizens are needed to make informed decisions about global issues, the importance of science education cannot be overstated. Due to the wide array of stakeholders, perspectives and goals it can be challenging to find consistent trends across the literature. The Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument A (STEBI-A) has proven to be a valid and reliable measure of teachers’ science teaching efficacy beliefs for over 25 years. The purpose of this chapter is to consolidate the body of STEBI-A literature through a structured review of the methods and findings in this area of science education research. A total of 107 articles and dissertations were deemed to have used the STEBI-A instrument and were subsequently included in the analyses. The findings showed that the instrument has been employed in varied research designs across 15 different national contexts to provide valuable insights into the nature, growth and cross-variable relationships of teachers’ science teaching efficacy beliefs. Analysis of interventions that were assessed via the STEBI-A showed professionally relevant, resource rich science programs could enhance the personal science teaching efficacy beliefs of in-service teachers across a multitude of contexts. Teachers often expressed cynical views as their personal science teaching efficacy scores were higher than their general science teaching outcome expectancies. Improving teachers’ science teaching outcome expectancies should be an aim for future research. More implications are discussed within the chapter.

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Deehan, J. (2017). A Review of the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument A: In-service Teachers. In: The Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instruments (STEBI A and B). SpringerBriefs in Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-42465-1_3

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