Investigation of science teachers inquiry based self- efficacy

It is important to raise science literate individuals with the effect of developing and changing science and technology. In 2018, the restructured science curriculum was based on a learning strategy, inquiry and transfer of knowledge. It is important that teachers who will use inquiry-based learning to raise individuals who research, question and access information on their own, as the curriculum aims, feel themselves competent in this regard. Teachers' self-efficacy of inquiry-based teaching method is important for qualified teaching process. The aim of this study is to investigate science teachers' inquiry-based teaching self-efficacy in terms of gender variable. The study also examined the level of inquiry-based science teaching self-efficacy of science teachers and the relationship between inquiry-based science teaching self-efficacy and age variable. The study consists of a total of 105 science teachers, 79 female and 26 male, working in Etimesgut district of Ankara province in the 2022-2023 academic year. A 5-point Likert-type "Research-Based Science Teaching Scale" developed by Smolleck (2004) and adapted by Akçay and İnaltekin in 2011 was used as a data collection tool. The data were analyzed using the SPSS-22 program. In order to see the differences in group averages of the gender variable, Mann Whitney-U Analysis was applied in 2-group variables. Pearson correlation analysis was applied to determine the direction and strength of the relationship between the research-based science teaching self-efficacy scale and the sub-dimensions of opportunity, guidance, evidence, explanation and Spearman correlation analysis was applied to determine the direction and strength of the relationship between the scale, sub-dimensions and age variable. As a result of the analysis, no significant difference was found between the gender variable and inquiry-based self-efficacy. No significant relationship was found between the age factor and the scale. When the distributions of each statement were analysed, it was seen that disagreement or indecision was mostly in the statements of 'asking questions and making explanations'. At the end of the study, suggestions for future studies on inquiry-based learning approach were given.