An Investigation of the Relationship Between Preservice Science Teachers’ Epistemological Beliefs about the Nature of Science and Their Self-Efficacy Perceptions

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the relationship between preservice science teachers’ epistemological beliefs about the nature of science (NOS) and their science learning self-efficacy perceptions by adapting a science learning self-efficacy scale for use in Turkey. This study is model as “Relational Survey”. A total of 125 preservice teachers (65 sophomores and 60 seniors) from a science education department of educational faculty in a state university participated in the study. Science Learning Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (SLSEQ) and The Scientific Epistemological Beliefs Scale (SEBS) was used data collection. This study, considering the scale adapted into Turkish by Alpaslan and Işık (2016), readapted the self-efficacy scale developed by Lin and Tsai (2013) for use in the field of science education. The scale has 5 factors and 28 items. The preservice science education teachers are thought to have high perception levels based on their scores on the SLSEQ and its factors. The results of SEBS show that the preservice science teachers had a positivist understanding of science. The results on the SEBS and the SLSEQ show that there is a positive linear relationship between the scores on the two scales, and the scores on the SLSEQ predict and explain 23% of the SEBS scores.

Keywords: epistemological beliefs, nature of science, self-efficacy perceptions, preservice science teachers.