Profiles of Pre-Service Primary Teachers: Attitudes, Self-Efficacy, and Gender Stereotypes in Teaching Science and Mathematics

Abstract

This descriptive study aims to analyze personality traits associated with gender and attitudes and self-efficacy towards teaching science and mathematics in pre-service primary teachers. Convenience sampling was used to select 92 pre-service primary teachers in Chile, who were administered a set of instruments to measure these variables; these instruments have displayed adequate levels of validity and reliability. Results show that an important percentage of pre-service primary teachers have low levels of self-efficacy and attitudes toward teaching these subjects and have personality traits that indicate marked gender stereotypes. Furthermore, the measured variables together generate distinct profiles of pre-service primary teachers. The implications of these results are discussed in relation to creating more equitable school environments that strive to attract more students, especially girls, to engage in science and mathematics.

Future primary teachers and pedagogical interactions with boys and girls

“…Table 1 shows the classification of the pre-service teachers into three profiles according to a hierarchical cluster analysis carried out in a previous study (Navarro et al, 2022). This multivariate statistical technique establishes groups with high degrees of internal homogeneity (intra-cluster) and external heterogeneity (inter-clusters) (Battaglia et al, 2017), considering the following variables: attitudes towards teaching science or math, self-efficacy in teaching science or math, and personality traits associated with gender (femininity, masculinity, machismo, and submission).…”

Examining the relationships among anxiety associated with teaching science, interest in science, and self-efficacy

“…Various factors influence their effectiveness, including teacher anxiety about teaching science, interest in science, and selfefficacy. These are among the critical factors for teacher's professional development (Navarro et al, 2022;Novak et al, 2020Novak et al, , 2022Yuruk, 2011).…”

Changes in the Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) Self-Efficacy of Pre-Service Physics Teachers: Redefining the Role of Influencing Factors

“…Selfefficacy is believed to contribute to and predict teacher performance achievement (Larry & Wendt, 2022;Polizzi et al, 2021;Sharp et al, 2022;Yadav et al, 2021). Teacher self-efficacy affects the ability of teachers to implement the curriculum (Bausch et al, 2021) and teaching practice (Bausch et al, 2021;Haron et al, 2021;Navarro et al, 2022), so it will also affect the performance of their students (Mulig-Cruz et al, 2015;Sharma et al, 2021;Sharp et al, 2022). Feelings, thoughts, and actions are influenced by self-efficacy (Hernández-Barco et al, 2021), which contribute to the achievement of one's performance (Hwang et al, 2016).…”

“…PCK is one of the professional knowledge that a teacher needs to have (Benegas & Villegas, 2021;Melo et al, 2020) and can be improved, for example, through active involvement in discussion activities (Kim et al, 2020). Self-efficacy in teaching is the belief in implementing pedagogical practices in the material being taught to create effective learning for students (Navarro et al, 2022). The implementation of this practice is in line with the PCK framework.…”