Evaluation of the STEM self-efficacy of science teachers in Northern Cyprus secondary education

Abstract

The main purpose of this research is to reveal the current situation of the STEM self-efficacy of teachers working in public and private secondary schools in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus through analysis. The universe of the present study consisted of 41 science teachers in secondary education institutions affiliated with the TRNC Ministry of National Education. The experimental research technique, a quantitative research approach, was used in the present study. In this research, the STEM Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale, which was adapted into Turkish by Yakar, Özdemir, and Vural (2018), was used as a data collection tool. SPSS 23 was used for the analysis of quantitative data. The STEM self-efficacy levels of the participating teachers were determined to be at a "medium level", and there were statistically significant differences from each other in terms of the teachers’ age, experience and education levels and their previous participation in STEM education in terms of their self-efficacy levels toward STEM. The findings obtained as a result of the research were discussed with the relevant literature. Finally, recommendations for practice and further research are presented.