Date of Conferral
2022
Degree
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
School
Education
Advisor
Mary L. Morton
Abstract
Science teachers in the local area lacked self-efficacy to teach science and were struggling to engage students in science learning, which resulted in student underachievement. Principals reported that teachers’ lack of self-efficacy in teaching science may be limiting students’ goals for scientific careers. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore teachers’ perceptions of their sense of self-efficacy to teach science and what they thought were the challenges to enhancing student engagement in science. The conceptual framework was Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy, which connects instruction to the confidence teachers possess in the classroom. Data were collected from individual interviews with a purposeful sample of 10 elementary science teachers. Interviews were analyzed through open coding and comprehensive clustering to reveal patterns and themes to answer the research questions. Findings revealed that teachers need and desire training to bolster their self-efficacy to engage students in science learning. Many participants reported that they did not like teaching science. Professional development was created to meet the identified needs of teachers, improve their self-efficacy perceptions to engage students in science learning, increase their knowledge of the science standards, and broaden their instructional methods. Implications for positive social change include promoting the self-efficacy of elementary science teachers to increase student engagement and achievement in science.
Recommended Citation
Smith, Stacie I., "Teachers’ Perceptions of Their Self-Efficacy to Engage Elementary Students in Learning Science" (2022). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 13788.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/13788
