Investigating the relationship between science teachers' learning environment perceptions, motivation to teach and self-efficacy beliefs

The purpose of this study is to determine science teachers' motivation to teach and to understand the relationships between science teacher motivation to teach with teaching and learning environment perceptions and science teachers' self-efficacy beliefs. At the same time, science teachers' teaching and learning environment perceptions, motivation to teach, and self-efficacy beliefs were also examined in terms of some variables (gender and teaching experience). Correlational research was conducted in this current study. The target population of this study was all science teachers who work in secondary schools in Turkey. The accessible population was science teachers working in different 39 cities in Turkey. The sample of this study was 202 science teachers who work in 39 different cities in secondary schools in 2019-2020 academic year in Turkey. The instruments of this study were "The Participant Information Form", "Constructivist Teaching Environment Scale", "Teacher Motivation Scale" and "Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale". SPSS 22.0 package program was used in the analysis of quantitative data. The results of this study revealed that science teachers' teaching and learning environment perceptions were mainly constructivist. Additionally, there were no statistically significant difference in science teachers' teaching and learning environment perceptions scores in terms of gender and teaching experience. Science viii teachers' motivation to teach level was found to be sometimes motivated. In terms of motivation to teach dimensions, intrinsic motivation to teach was found to higher than extrinsic motivation to teach. Additionally, there were no statistically significant difference in science teachers' motivation to teach scores in terms of gender and teaching experience. Science teachers' self-efficacy beliefs were found to be quite self-efficacious and instructional strategies self-efficacy beliefs were found to be higher than classroom management and student engagement. Additionally, there were no statistically significant difference in science teachers' self-efficacy beliefs scores in terms of gender and teaching experience. Based on the correlation analysis between teaching and learning environment perceptions, motivation to teach, and self-efficacy beliefs, there was a significant and positive relationship between science teachers' teaching and learning environment perceptions and their-self-efficacy beliefs but there was not a significant relationship between science teachers' teaching and learning environment perceptions and motivation to teach. In addition, science teachers' student engagement self-efficacy beliefs were found to statistically correlate with science teachers' motivation to teach. Therefore, as science teachers' self-efficacy beliefs get higher, they promote more constructivist learning environment. In addition, when intrinsic and extrinsic motivation to teach increase science teachers' student engagement self-efficacy beliefs increase. In the light of these findings, science teachers' motivation to teach is correlated with their self-efficacy beliefs but not with teaching and learning environment perceptions. Based on canonic analyses, personal relevance and student negotiation in classroom environment perceptions variable set explain the highest variance, and student engagement and instructional strategies in motivation and self-efficacy variance set explain the highest variance. The findings of this study to teacher education was discussed.