Opinions and self-efficacy of science teachers on teaching innovation skills in secondary schools

The main purpose of the science course curriculum is to raise scientifically literate individuals. In this context, science curriculums aim to develop individuals' scientific process skills, life skills, engineering and design skills. One of the skills expected to be acquired by individuals is innovative thinking skills. Innovative thinking involves creating products using the knowledge and skills of individuals or developing strategies that can add value to the existing product. When the literature is examined, it has been determined that there are few studies on the opinions of science teachers on the subject that will provide innovative thinking skills in secondary schools. The purpose of this research is to examine the views of science teachers on the acquisition of innovative thinking skills in secondary schools and their self-efficacy perceptions regarding innovative thinking skills. Mixed design, in which both quantitative and qualitative research methods are used together, was used in the research. While the descriptive survey model was used in the quantitative dimension of the research, the phenomenology research design, which is one of the qualitative research methods, was used in the qualitative dimension. The quantitative study group of the research consists of 223 science teachers working in schools affiliated to the Provincial Directorate of National Education in the city center of Siirt, while the qualitative group consists of 20 science teachers working in 10 different public schools affiliated to the Provincial Directorate of National Education in the city center of Siirt. In order to collect quantitative data in the research, a structured interview form with the Google Forms application and a self-efficacy perception scale about innovative thinking skills were applied to science teachers. Within the scope of the research, focus group interviews were conducted with science teachers in order to reach qualitative data. A semi-structured interview form prepared by the researchers was used in the focus group interviews. As a result of the analysis of the quantitative data in the research, it was determined that the self-efficacy perceptions of the science teachers regarding innovative thinking skills were at a high level and the teachers' self-efficacy perceptions did not differ depending on their demographic characteristics. As a result of the analysis of the qualitative data in the research, it was determined that science teachers emphasized the skills of critical thinking, free thinking and analytical thinking the most among the skills that should be acquired by students in the process of gaining innovative thinking skills. In addition, the teachers participating in the research stated that the most important problems encountered in the process of gaining innovative thinking skills are the physical conditions of the school and classrooms, the large number of students, the inadequacy or lack of parent attitudes and behaviors. Key Words: Science Education, Innovative Thinking, Curriculum, Self-sufficiency