Primary teachers’ changing attitudes and cognition during a two‐year science in‐service programme and their effect on pupils

Abstract

Changes in 70 teachers' confidence, attitudes and science understanding were tested before and after a major in-service programme. Attitudes were assessed using a 49-item Likert-scale test that probed attitudes to practical science teaching and in-service training. Multi-choice and open-ended questions measured understanding of electricity; melting, dissolving and evaporation; forces; and investigations. Data on pupils' attitudes and cognition were also collected. After in-service, teachers' confidence about science teaching had improved significantly. The majority, but not all, had developed satisfactory levels of understanding and more positive attitudes. Four broad types of response were identified: high attainers who improved attitudes and confidence; teachers with limited science knowledge who found the course difficult but made improvements; unaffected professionals who were already working well and for whom the course had little effect; and disaffected teachers who showed low levels of confidence and competence throughout. Pupil cognition and attitudinal differences related to these types were also found.

Primary teachers' attitudes toward science: A new theoretical framework

“…The studies addressed in this review underscore this observation. The majority of the studies provided no appropriate definition for the concept of attitude (Appleton, 1995, Appleton & Kindt, 1999Atwater et al, 1991;Carleton et al, 2008;Cobern & Loving, 2002;Coulson, 1992;Eurobarometer 38.1, 1992;Evans & Durant, 1995;Haney et al 1996;Harty et al, 1991;Hartshorne, 2008;Haury, 1989;Jarret, 1999;Jarvis & Pell, 2004;Johnston & Ahtee, 2006;Koballa, 1986;Liang & Gabel, 2005;Martin-Dunlop & Fraser, 2007;McDevitt et al, 1993;Mulholland & Wallace, 1996;Palmer, 2001Palmer, , 2004Pedersen & McCurdy, 1992;Ramey-Gassert et al, 1996;Shepardson & Pizzini, 1992;Yates & Goodrum, 1990;Yilmaz-Tuzun, 2007;Young & Kellogg, 1993;Young, 1998). Some of these studies gave a coarse definition of attitude without specifying the various dimensions of the construct.…”

“…The remaining studies, which did not use the STEBI, had devised their own surveys and questionnaires on self-efficacy (Appleton, 1995;Jarvis & Pell, 2004;Skamp, 1991) or questionnaires on self-confidence (Harlen & Holroyd, 1997;Holroyd & Harlen, 1996;Murphy et al, 2007). Many of the instruments used in these studies were neither validated nor reported reliability measures (Appleton, 1995;Hoslroyd & Harlen, 1996;Skamp, 1991).…”

“…Coulson (1992), Mulholland and Wallace (1996), Palmer (2001Palmer ( , 2004Palmer ( , 2006, Skamp (1991), Yates andGoodrum (1990), andYoung (1998). (Total 9) Appleton (1995), Appleton and Kindt (1999), Bleicher (2007), Bursal and Paznokas (2006), Carleton et al (2008), Coulson (1992) Harlen (1997) Harlen and Holroyd (1997), Hartshorne (2008), Harty et al (1991), Holroyd and Harlen (1996), Jarret (1999), Jarvis and Pell (2004), Koballa (1986), McDevitt et al (1993), Murphy et al (2007), Palmer (2001Palmer ( , 2006, Pederson and McCurdy (1992), Ramey-Gassert et al (1996), Scharmann and Orth Hampton (1995), Schoon and Boone (1998), Skamp (1991), Tosun (2000), Wenner (1993Wenner ( , 1995, Yates and Goodrum (1990), and Yilmaz-Tuzun on the attitudes of preservice teachers (Cobern & Loving, 2002;Coulson, 1992;Koballa, 1986;McDevitt, Heikkinen, Alcorn, Ambrosio, & Gardner, 1993;…”

“…Table 1, the most frequently investigated component of the construct of primary teachers' professional attitude is self-efficacy. Studies investigating self-efficacy focused on a variety of aspects and effects of self-efficacy, including the following: effect studies of interventions aimed at preservice and inservice teachers (Appleton, 1995;Bleicher, 2007;Carleton et al, 2008;Hartshorne, 2008;Harty et al, 1991;Jarrett, 1999;Jarvis & Pell, 2004;McDevitt et al, 1993;Palmer, 2001Palmer, , 2006Pedersen & McCurdy, 1992;Scharmann & Orth Hampton, 1995;Wenner, 1993Wenner, , 1995, studies on the development of instruments (Coulson, 1992;Yilmaz-Tuzun, 2008), studies investigating the relationship between self-efficacy and science-related knowledge of preservice teachers (Appleton, 1995;Harlen, 1997;Harlen & Holroyd, 1997;Holroyd & Harlen, 1996;Murphy, Neil, & Beggs, 2007;Schoon & Boone, 1998;Tosun, 2000), one study investigating the relationship between anxiety and self-efficacy (Bursal & Paznokas, 2006), studies investigating the difference between preservice teachers and experienced inservice teachers with regard to self-efficacy (Skamp, 1991), studies focusing on the sources of self-efficacy in preservice teachers (Appleton & Kindt, 1999;Palmer, 2001;Ramey-Gassert et al, 1996), one study on the relation between self-efficacy and intention to teach science (Koballa, 1986), and one study focusing on the amount of self-efficacy of primary teachers (Yates & Goodrum, 1990).…”

“…Studies investigating the attitudes of primary teachers toward science have indicated that teachers with less positive attitudes share a number of characteristics. They have lower confidence and self-efficacy beliefs about teaching science (Skamp, 1991;Tosun, 2000;Yates & Goodrum, 1990); they spend less time discussing and teaching these topics in their classrooms (Goodrum, Hackling, & Rennie, 2001;Harlen & Holroyd, 1997); they rely more on standardized methods and top-down instruction (Appleton & Kindt, 1999;Harlen & Holroyd, 1997;Jarvis & Pell, 2004;Plonczak, 2008); and they are less able to stimulate the attitudes of their students (Harlen & Holroyd, 1997;Jarvis & Pell, 2004;Osborne et al, 2003;Van Driel et al, 2001;Weinburgh, 2007). On the positive side, research has shown that when teachers gain greater confidence and self-efficacy and a more positive attitude through continuing education efforts, they subsequently teach science in a better manner and are able to improve the attitudes of their students in this area (Osborne & Dillon, 2008;Osborne et al, 2003).…”