The development of a questionnaire to measure Irish primary childrens science self-efficacy beliefs and sources

Emergent in the literature is the need to increase levels of student engagement in science, with informal science education (ISE) playing a contributing role (DES 2017). Whilst children find science to be interesting and important to society, many children can view it as difficult and not for them (Aspires 2013). Science Self-Efficacy (SSE) is the self-belief an individual has in their own abilities to perform scientific tasks successfully in a given context. There is a positive link between high SSE and motivation (Bandura 1997). Childrens SSE has not yet been explored in the Irish context, nor has the influence of scientists on SSE been investigated internationally (Usher Pajares 2008). Due to the recent prevalence in ISE initiatives aiming to increase childrens motivation in science, it is necessary to inform ISE providers of best practice regarding SSE beliefs. However, first it is necessary to be able to measure any effect they may have. This work will describe the development, pilot validation results and future directions of a Science Self-Efficacy and Demonstrator Competence (SSEDC) questionnaire. The questionnaire contains six Likert-like scales, each measuring a different aspect relating to SSE and perceived competence of scientist demonstrators. It was piloted with 92 children aged between 10-12 years old in a pre-post data collection design before and after participation in an informal science education activity. Four children (two boys and two girls) also participated in interviews to explore questionnaire comprehension and interpretation. Preliminary results suggest that overall children interpreted the questionnaires correctly and that the internal consistency of the items are reliable. However, the questionnaire needs to be further modified to effectively capture the scope of SSE sources and beliefs. Once validated, this questionnaire will be an excellent tool for both formal and informal science educators and practitioners who are interested in targeting the SSE beliefs of their students. References DES. (2017). STEM Education Policy Statement 2017-2026. Dublin, Ireland. Retrieved from https: www.education.ie en The-Education-System STEMEducation-Policy stem-education-policy-statement-2017-2026-.pdf Aspires (2013) Young Peoples Sciene and Career Aspirations, age 10-14 Retrieved from https: www.kcl.ac.uk sspp departments education research aspires ASPIRE S-final-report-December-2013.pdf Bandura, A. (1997) Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control. Worth Publishers. Usher, E. Pajares, F. (2008) Sources of Self-Efficacy in School: Critical Review of the Literature and Future Directions, Review of Educational Research, Vol. 78, No. 4, pp. 751796.