Heeding the Voices of Pre-Service Early Childhood Education Teachers: Their Beliefs about Early Childhood Science Education and Self-Efficacy for Teaching Science

Autor: Aysun Ata Aktürk, Mustafa Çetin
Jazyk: English<br />Turkish
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: Yaşadıkça Eğitim, Vol 38, Iss 1, Pp 105-119 (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1300-1272
2667-4874
26674874
DOI: 10.33308/26674874.2024381658
Popis: This cross-sectional survey study aimed to explore pre-service early childhood education teachers’ (PTs) beliefs about (a) the aims and scope of early childhood science education and (b) their self-efficacy beliefs in teaching science to preschool children. A survey consisting of open-ended questions was applied to PTs (N = 130). According to the results, PTs were aware of the importance of science education in early childhood. They mainly focused on the roles of early childhood science education in satisfying curiosity, developing questioning skills, and facilitating understanding of the environment and life. However, most PTs associated science education in early childhood with only natural sciences-related activities and concepts. Moreover, PTs reported low self-efficacy beliefs in teaching science to preschool children due to their lack of experience and theoretical knowledge. This study has some implications for PTs to view science education in early childhood from a comprehensive perspective and improve their self-efficacy.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals