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Journal of Science Education and Technology
Published in: Journal of Science Education and Technology 3/2021

17-11-2020

The Development and Validation of a Survey for Evaluating Primary Students’ Self-efficacy in STEM Activities

Authors: Tian Luo, Winnie Wing Mui So, Wai Chin Li, Jianxin Yao

Published in: Journal of Science Education and Technology | Issue 3/2021

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Abstract

STEM integration has become a popular concept not only in the context of education practices but also as a way of learning. The integration of the STEM domains is evident in students’ learning experiences when engaging in STEM activities. However, there is a lack of instruments for evaluating students’ levels of self-efficacy in these activities. Therefore, the aims of this study were to develop a survey for evaluating upper primary students’ self-efficacy in STEM activities and to explore whether a student’s gender, grade, and participation in STEM activities predict his or her self-efficacy in STEM activities. A total of 844 fourth- to sixth-grade primary students participated in this study. After pilot testing, exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were conducted, the survey was found to have a single-factor structure with high reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = .90). Linear regression analysis showed that school and out-of-school participation in STEM activities significantly predicted the students’ self-efficacy in STEM activities, while grade and gender did not. The survey developed in this study provides a reliable and valid way to measure students’ self-efficacy in STEM activities. These findings also highlight the importance of encouraging students’ participation in both formal and informal STEM activities.
previous article STEM Teachers’ Preparation, Teaching Beliefs, and Perceived Teaching Competence: a Multigroup Structural Equation Approach
next article Giving Feedback on Peers’ Concept Maps in an Inquiry Learning Context: The Effect of Providing Assessment Criteria

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Metadata
Title
The Development and Validation of a Survey for Evaluating Primary Students’ Self-efficacy in STEM Activities
Authors
Tian Luo
Winnie Wing Mui So
Wai Chin Li
Jianxin Yao
Publication date
17-11-2020
Publisher
Springer Netherlands
Published in
Journal of Science Education and Technology / Issue 3/2021
Print ISSN: 1059-0145
Electronic ISSN: 1573-1839
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-020-09882-0

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