St. Lucian Elementary School Teachers’ Applicability Beliefs and Beliefs about Science Teaching and Learning: Relevance to Their Level of Inquiry-Based Instructional Practices in Science

Abstract

This paper examines the hypothesis that St. Lucian primary school teachers' science teaching and learning beliefs and their applicability beliefs are stronger predictors of their science teaching strategies than their teacher education experiences. Quantitative procedures were used where the level of each belief construct as well as their underlying constructs was measured in each teacher in the population and a determination made as to their favourability towards inquiry-based instruction (IBI). The levels of a sample of these teachers' IBI practices were also determined using an observational rating scale. Multiple regression analyses were used to determine the extent to which teachers' beliefs serve as predictors of their IBI practices. The results showed that teachers' applicability beliefs were barely moderately favourable to their practice of IBI, while their beliefs about science teaching and learning were favourable. Their inquiry-based practices were found to be at the unsatisfactory developing inquiry level. While their science teaching and learning beliefs were found to be significant and moderately positive predictors of their inquiry-based instructional practices, their applicability beliefs seemingly functioned as a moderating variable that limited the effect of teachers' favourable science teaching and learning beliefs on their instructional practices. These findings are significant in that they show the detrimental effect school-based factors can have on teachers' instructional practices in science.

Indonesian teachers’ epistemological beliefs and inclusive education

“…Within epistemological research in different cultures, researchers typically follow an exploratory derivation of components with a multiple regression analysis, to assess their predictive value (Abedalaziz et al, 2013; Castéra and Clément, 2012; Samuel and Ogunkola, 2013). This approach uses the principal components as predictor variables (O’Rourke and Hatcher, 2013) and also the predictive value of individual questions.…”

Elementary School Teachers’ Epistemological Beliefs as Predictors of Their Inquiry-Based Practices in Science Instruction

“…It was found that teachers' IBI were at the unsatisfactory developing inquiry level, their applicability beliefs were barely moderately favourable to their IBI, while their beliefs about science teaching and learning were favourable. In addition, while teachers' science teaching and learning beliefs were found to be significant and moderately positive predictors of their IBI, their applicability beliefs appeared to function as a moderating variable that limited the effect of these favourable beliefs on IBI (Samuel and Ogunkola, 2013).…”

“…In the first part of the research Samuel and Ogunkola (2013) found that the teachers in the sample practiced a level of IBI at the unsatisfactory developing inquiry level. While the teachers practiced at the proficient inquiry level for instructional factors, it was in the level of discourse, assessment and curriculum factors that they fell short where the level practiced for each was at the developing inquiry level of instruction.…”

“…The research literature identifies three possible belief constructs that are relevant within the St Lucian context: epistemological beliefs, beliefs about science teaching and learning, and science teaching efficacy beliefs. The researchers conceptualized a fourth belief construct which they termed applicability beliefs (Samuel and Ogunkola, 2013).…”