Teachers' self-efficacy beliefs for teaching physics: validation of an instrument and cross-sectional study with longitudinal components

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Olaf Krey; Professorin Dr. Thorid Rabe
• Subject Area: General and Domain-Specific Teaching and Learning
• Term: from 2013 to 2015
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 242185153

It can be assumed that self-efficacy beliefs are an important component of professional "Kompetenz" (competence) of teachers, the knowledge aspect of which has received great attention over the last few years. The current state of research suggests that further investigation on the expression and development of teachers' self-efficacy is of theoretical and practical importance. Compared to former approaches the focus of this study is on (future) physics teachers' domain specific educational self-efficacy (e.g. the self-efficacy to deal with alternative conceptions about the concept of acceleration).The first objective is to develop and validate a theory-driven instrument which is able to measure (future) physics teachers' domain specific self-efficacy in two dimensions - "planning" and "conducting" physics lessons. The instrument should be able to detect self-efficacy on different levels of a physics teacher's career - from physics teacher students to in service physics teachers. Different scales are developed, to detect self-efficacy beliefs in relevant fields of activity (e.g. dealing with students' alternative conceptions) and the two dimensions "planning" and "conducting". We also investigate whether it seems possible to generate a short scale for each of the dimensions across different fields of activity. A second objective is to check on the sensitivity of the developed instrument. Research findings indicate that mastery experience is the most influential source for change of self-efficacy. Therefore self-efficacy beliefs of physics teacher students are investigated before and after courses in which students gain teaching experience. Interviews are used to validate the self-assessment based on the questionnaire. Furthermore we hope to develop and refine hypothesis about the sources of development in their perceived self-efficacy.A third objective is to obtain a first time description of future physics teachers' educational self-efficacy beliefs for the university years of their careers. For this a cross-sectional research design with longitudinal components is employed. The chosen design allows us to generate hypothesis that are appropriate for testing in a strict longitudinal research design. Again, the longitudinal components are built around those courses that provide mastery experience to the future physics teacher students

• DFG Programme: Research Grants