A mixed method research to determine science teachers' research self-efficacy, attitudes and opinions towards scientific project competitions: the case of Batman province

From the perspective of project-based learning, it can be stated that it is important to determine the self-efficacy in scientific research and the attitudes and opinions of science teachers towards scientific project competitions. In this study, the opinions of 211 science teachers working in the Batman province were examined on this subject. In the quantitative part of the study, conducted using a mixed research method, scales for scientific research self-efficacy and teacher attitudes were applied; the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Mann-Whitney U test, and the Kruskal-Wallis H test. In the qualitative part, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 randomly selected teachers, and the data were evaluated using content analysis. The results showed that teachers experienced difficulties in participating in scientific projects due to reasons such as lack of time, excessive workload, and lack of motivation, but the projects made positive contributions to their professional development. In light of these findings, it is recommended to organize in-service training on topics such as motivation-enhancing educational programs and project management to increase teachers' participation in scientific project competitions. Additionally, it was emphasized that participation should be based on voluntary principles and that teachers' work should be rewarded both materially and morally.