Need for the Study
In order to achieve understanding of early childhood teachers’ self-efficacy in science
teaching, this study addresses several needs. These needs follow:
1. The need for a study on science education at the early childhood level;
2. The need for the examination of the predictor variables of early childhood
teachers which may influence their self-efficacy beliefs in science teaching;
3. The need for an investigation of the process path of the predictor variables, of
early childhood teachers, and how they may influence self-efficacy beliefs in
science teaching;
4. The need for research-based teacher training programs for early childhood
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science education.
The rationale behind the first need is that little effort has been directed toward the
investigation of early childhood science learning and teaching, despite its obvious
importance. As Fleer (1993) indicated, a lack of attention has been paid to developing a
teaching approach that is especially suitable for young children. As a result, most
significant modifications usually arise from changes to the selected pedagogy by early
childhood teachers during implementation. While some success results, many failures
remain evident, thereby reducting the likelihood of science education assuming a more
prominent place in the early childhood curriculum (Cho, 1997).
The attributes of young children and early childhood curricula are different from
elementary school children in many respects. Approaching science education for young
children from an early childhood perspective rather than from simply modifying
elementary science curricula is important. Therefore, this study on early childhood
teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs in science teaching anticipates providing a greater
understanding of the reality of science education for young children from the perspective
of early childhood teachers.
The second need for the study focuses on the significance of investigation of early
childhood teachers’ internal factors, personal educational experiences, and contextual
experiences from their work places with science teaching all of which may influence their
self-efficacy in science teaching. Researchers (e.g., Desoyza et al, 2004; Ramey-Gassert
et al., 1996) have consistently found that several variables encourage elementary
education teachers’ self-efficacy in teaching science, such as teachers’ educational level,