The Next Generation Science Standards Era: Teachers' Self-Efficacy for Science Instruction in Rural Schools

• In Event: Moscone Center West Roundtable Session 2
  In Roundtable Session: Small-Scale and Big Data Studies of the Effects of Professional Development on Teacher Practice

Abstract

This study explored the relationships between science teaching self-efficacy, professional development (PD) and contextual factors related to NGSS-aligned teaching to examine the extent to which modest forms of follow-up support sustain science PD outcomes. Forty-seven teachers participated in this longitudinal study and multiple forms of data (i.e., interview, PSTE scale) were collected at three time points from 2010 to 2018. Findings suggest that follow-up support have a significant impact on teachers’ science teaching self-efficacy. Variations in teachers’ self-efficacy highlight school-level factors that impact elementary teachers’ beliefs and practices. This work has implications for school leaders and educational stakeholders who are interested in improving science learning opportunities, particularly for students of rural communities.

Authors

• Jenell Krishnan, University of California - Irvine

• Doron Zinger, University of California - Irvine

• Judith H. Sandholtz, University of California - Irvine

• Cathy Ringstaff, WestEd