BECOMING A SCIENCE TEACHER: FOSTERING PRE-SERVICE SCIENCE TEACHERS’ SELF-EFFICACY THROUGH LESSON STUDY
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Abstract
Science teaching self-efficacy shapes how pre-service science teachers (PSTs) implement instruction and respond to classroom challenges. This study investigated PSTs’ self-efficacy levels and explored how Lesson Study fostered self-efficacy.
An embedded mixed methods design was employed across two phases. Phase 1 surveyed 332 fourth-year PSTs from Rajabhat Universities selected via multi-stage random sampling, using the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument-B (STEBI-B; IOC =
0.80–1.00; α = .91). Phase 2 involved six purposively selected PSTs categorized by initial
self-efficacy level (highest, high, medium, low) who completed three Lesson Study cycles with mentor teachers and university supervisors; qualitative data were collected through observation, semi-structured interviews, and reflection logs then analyzed using content analysis. Phase 1 revealed that the overall science teaching self-efficacy of pre-service teachers was at a high level (M = 3.69, SD = 1.02) across both PSTE (M = 3.69, SD = 1.06) and STOE (M = 3.69, SD = 0.98). Phase 2 revealed that Lesson Study explicitly fostered substantial self-efficacy growth across all six participants, most effectively among those who entered with the lowest initial confidence. Through the Lesson Study, participants demonstrated clear behavioral transformations: they overcame instructional anxiety to teach confidently, shifted from script dependency to pedagogical flexibility, and embraced student-centered instruction. Furthermore, they successfully integrated technology, developed a humble approach to assessing their own abilities, and cultivated the capacity to reflection-in-action. Two features drove these transformations: the buddy teacher pairings, which enabled learning from shared classroom experience, and the reteach phase, which turned earlier struggles into purposeful second attempts. These findings suggest that integrating Lesson Study into practicum programs offers
a replicable, evidence-based pathway for developing robust and sustainable science teaching self-efficacy in pre-service educators.
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