Teacher Self-Efficacy and the Implementation of a Problem-Based Science Curriculum

This study was conducted to investigate eighth-grade science teachers’ selfefficacy during the implementation of a new, problem-based science curriculum. The curriculum included applications of LEGO® robotics, a new technology for these teachers. Teachers’ responded to structured journaling activities designed to collect information about their self-efficacy for teaching with the curriculum and, later, to a survey designed to probe their self-efficacy for enacting specific elements of the curriculum. Participants reported high confidence levels throughout the study but expressed some concerns related to their local contexts. Many researchers have investigated teachers’ self-efficacy, defined by Bandura (1986) as “beliefs in one’s capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required to produce given attainments” (p. 391.) (For example, see Tobin, Tippins, Gallard, & Gabel 1994.) Bandura (1997) recommended examining science teachers’ self-efficacy, specifically, stating that ‘‘teacher efficacy in science education is of particular concern, given the increasing importance of scientific literacy and competency in the technological transformations occurring in society” (p. 242). Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 16(4) 435 Indeed, previous research provides evidence for a relationship between teacher selfefficacy and successful science teaching (Tobin et al., 1994; Roberts, Henson, Tharp, & Moreno, 2001). For example, Czerniak and Shriver (1994) reported that preservice science teachers with high self-efficacy used a variety of instructional strategies, in contrast to teachers with low-self efficacy, who relied primarily on the textbook. Similarly, Riggs, Enochs, and Posnanski (1991) analyzed teaching videos and found that teachers with high self-efficacy taught science content and skills more thoroughly, asked more open-ended questions, checked more frequently for student understanding, and connected content to students’ lives more often than did teachers with low-self efficacy. Science teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs do not exist in a vacuum but, rather, exist in relation to teachers’ other belief structures and the real-world teaching contexts. ) Bandura (1986) acknowledged that “self-efficacy, a belief sub-construct, is too broad, vague and context free to be useful” and that “self-beliefs must be context specific and relevant to the behavior under investigation to be useful to researchers and appropriate for empirical study” (as quoted in Pajares, 1992, p. 315). Several studies have illustrated a relationship between contextual factors and science teachers’ self-efficacy. For example, Ramey-Gassert, Shroyer, and Staver (1996) found that teachers’ science teaching self-efficacy was related not only to antecedent factors (previous science experience, teacher preparation, or science teaching experiences) and internal factors (attitudes toward and interest in science), but also to external factors, including the school workplace environment, student variables, and community variables. Given the degree to which science teachers’ self-efficacy may be context specific, teacher self-efficacy should be examined in the context of specific efforts to improve science teaching and learning. The use of technology in the teaching and learning of science represents an important element of this context. Some recent studies have focused on teacher self-efficacy when technology is included in science classrooms (e.g., Graham et al., 2009; Minshew & Anderson, 2015), and the present study adds to the knowledgebase in this area. In recent years, robotics has emerged as a potentially powerful tool for fostering student engagement and learning in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) disciplines (Park, 2015; Taylor, 2016). Through a rapidly growing network of FIRST LEGO® League (FLL) competitions, students participate in team challenges that use robotics and engineering design to solve real-world problems (Rosen, Stillwell, & Usselman, 2012). Although much of the published research on educational robotics focuses on informal, outof-school time settings, researchers and practitioners have begun to explore the possibilities of using LEGO Robotics in formal K-12 STEM education settings (Mills, Chandra, & Park, 2013; Park, 2015; Taylor, 2016). For example, Tufts University’s LEGO Engineering program provides materials and guidance to educators interested in utilizing LEGO robotics in the classroom (Tufts Center for Engineering Education & Outreach, 2016). Park (2015) examined the effects of robotics-enhanced, inquiry-based learning in South Korean science classrooms and found significant improvement in motivation and academic achievement among students who participated in a robotics-enhanced science curriculum. Robotics also is beginning to be used with preservice teachers (Kim et al., 2015). The purpose of this study was to explore teacher self-efficacy beliefs during the implementation of the Science Learning Integrating Design, Engineering, and Robotics (SLIDER) project. SLIDER was a multi-year, National Science Foundation funded project, Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 16(4) 436 in which university researchers and middle school science teachers collaborated to develop a new, problem-based curriculum. Savery (2006) defined problem-based learning as “an instructional (and curricular) learner-centered approach that empowers learners to conduct research, integrate theory and practice, and apply knowledge and skills to develop a viable solution to a defined problem. ” In the SLIDER project, the Mindstorm robotics materials and technology were integrated into the project’s problem-based curriculum. Just as the use of robotics is a relatively new development in formal K-12 settings, LEGO robotics represented a new technology for the teachers in this study and placed new demands on their science teaching. Specifically, facilitating the problem-based inquiry activities included in the curriculum required that teachers become proficient at building and programming robotic vehicles created using the LEGO Mindstorm kits (Usselman & Ryan, 2015). The curriculum materials are available for review online at http://slider.gatech. edu. Teachers’ beliefs regarding science reform ideas are important elements of educational change, as there is a relationship between what teachers believe and what they do in the classroom (Haney, Lumpe, Czerniak, & Egan, 2002). Thus, the careful consideration of teacher self-efficacy may be particularly important for programs or interventions intended to enhance or change science teaching practices. Specifically, in the context of a project with the goal of developing and implementing a new inquiry-based science curriculum, understanding teacher self-efficacy may help explain variations in how teachers interact with and implement the curriculum. The notion of fidelity of implementation refers to “the extent to which a delivery of an intervention adheres to the protocol or program model originally developed” (Mowbray, Holter, Teague, & Bybee, 2003, p. 315; see also Fogleman, McNeill, & Krajcik, 2011). Previous research has suggested a relationship between teachers’ self-efficacy and fidelity of implementation (Keys & Bryan, 2000). Guskey (1988) determined that teacher self-efficacy is a good indicator of teacher attitudes toward implementing a new instructional practice or reform. In his study, Guskey found that teachers who are “confident about their teaching abilities” (p. 67) are also the “most receptive to the implementation of new instructional practices” (p. 67). Similarly, Fogleman et al. (2011) suggested that whether or not a teacher implements curriculum reform with fidelity is determined, in part, by their beliefs about teaching and learning. They also noted that teacher self-efficacy is an important predictor of the successful implementation of new curriculum; “teachers who believe they are able to achieve specific teaching goals are more willing to try new innovations in their classrooms” (p. 151). On the other hand, Smith (1996) posited that educational reform efforts may negatively affect teacher self-efficacy, since teachers would not be able to gauge how they are affecting student learning due to lack of traditional assessment measures. Thus, examining teacher self-efficacy specific to the implementation of new curricula may yield important insights into how teachers approach the implementation of new science curricula and help explain variations in curriculum implementation. With that in mind, the following research questions were investigated: 1. How does teacher self-efficacy for implementing the new curriculum change during the initial 8-week implementation of the curriculum? Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 16(4) 437 2. How does teacher self-efficacy vary across the elements of the curriculum?