Differences Between Elementary and Secondary Preservice Science Teachers’ Perceived Efficacy Belies and their Classroom Management Beliefs
Abstract
Teacher efficacy has been one of the few variables consistently related to positive teaching behavior and student outcomes. Teacher efficacy can also be related with teacher’s classroom management approaches (Henson, 2001). The purpose of this study was to assess differences between Turkish elementary and secondary preservice teachers’ science teaching efficacy and classroom management beliefs. Data in this study were collected from a total number of 646 preservice teachers enrolled in elementary and secondary science teacher education programs in Turkey using Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (STEBI-B) (Enochs & Riggs, 1990) and the Attitudes and Beliefs On Classroom Control (ABCC) Inventory (Martin, Yin, & Baldwin, 1998). Results indicated that secondary preservice teachers were more efficacious than the elementary counterparts on the two dimensions of the STEBI-B. However, all participants were found to be more interventionist on the instructional management and non-interventionist on the people management. In addition, analyses were not revealed any significant gender and education level differences on the subscales of the ABCC Inventory.