Professional knowledge, interest and self-efficacy: a vignette study

Although a broad and complex amalgam of environmental (extrinsic) and personal attribute (intrinsic) factors are known to influence elementary science delivery, the development of the intrinsic factors are of particular importance to pre-service science educators. This research paper, based on quantitative procedures, examines the influence of a variety of science and science pedagogy courses in a Bachelor of Education (Primary) program on the development of teacher candidate personal attribute factors. The study involved the participation of 126 teacher candidates and explored the development and relationships amongst professional science knowledge, science teaching self-efficacy and professional attitude and interest. Results from the study identified that students who had taken a variety of both science content and pedagogy courses, unlike those who had taken only science pedagogy or content courses, held consistently positive correlations between their science background knowledge and self-efficacy. On the basis of the developments and correlations identified in and amongst teacher candidate personal attribute factors, recommendations for this and, potentially, other pre-service science education programs are suggested.