Preservice science teachers' SSI teaching self-efficacy beliefs and their relations to knowledge, risk and benefit perceptions, and personal epistemological beliefs

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Tezin Türü: Doktora

Tezin Yürütüldüğü Kurum: Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, Eğitim Fakültesi, Matematik ve Fen Bilimleri Eğitimi Bölümü, Türkiye

Tezin Onay Tarihi: 2016

Öğrenci: NİLAY ÖZTÜRK

Danışman: ÖZGÜL YILMAZ TÜZÜN

Özet:

This study aimed to examine the nature of preservice science teachers’ (PSTs) SSI teaching self-efficacy beliefs and their relation to personal epistemological beliefs, GM foods risk-benefit perceptions, and GM foods knowledge. To this end, this study proposed and tested a path model. In this mixed-design research study, first, the variables were assessed through four main quantitative instruments. The proposed model involving the four variables was tested by utilizing path analysis. Then, to gain deeper understandings about GM foods teaching self-efficacy beliefs and the observed paths between GM foods teaching self-efficacy beliefs and each of the other three variables in the model, qualitative data was collected through an interview protocol. The quantitative results revealed that the PSTs have moderately high GM foods teaching self-efficacy beliefs, moderately sophisticated personal epistemological beliefs, moderately high GM foods risk perception, and the level of their GM foods benefit perception and GM foods knowledge was in the mid-range. The path analysis showed that PSTs’ personal epistemological beliefs, GM foods risk perception, and GM foods knowledge were related to their GM foods teaching self-efficacy beliefs. In addition, it was found that GM Foods risk and benefit perceptions were correlated to GM Foods knowledge and personal epistemological beliefs, and GM Foods knowledge was correlated to personal epistemological beliefs. The qualitative findings supported the quantitative results and were very helpful to explain the observed relationships in the model. Besides, the qualitative findings revealed detailed information regarding PSTs’ GM foods teaching self-efficacy beliefs. It was revealed, for instance, that although PSTs considered themselves as efficacious to teach SSI, they have many misunderstandings regarding nature of SSI and SSI teaching.