The relationship between preschool teachers' self-efficacy beliefs on science education and children's science motivation and investigation of science activities practices

The purpose of this research is to examine preschool teachers' practices in science activities and to determine the relationship between teachers' self-efficacy and children's science motivation. The universe of the research, in which the mixed model and correlational survey model were used, consists of the children aged 60-72 months attending official independent kindergartens in Adana in 2021-2022 academic year and the teachers of children aged 60-72 months working in these independent kindergartens. forms. The study group of the research consists of in Adana's Çukurova, Sarıçam, Seyhan, Yüreğir districts, selected by stratified sampling, one of the random sampling methods from this universe. The study group includes 149 teachers and 298 children; a girl and a boy, randomly selected from each teacher's class. Science activities in the classrooms of 10 teachers on a voluntary basis among 149 teachers who participated in the survey were examined by unattended observation. Self-efficacy Scale for Science Education in Preschool Education, Preschool Children's Science Motivation Scale and Personal Information Form were used as quantitative data collection tools in the research; and, Checklist and Activity Plans were used as qualitative data collection tools. In the analysis of quantitative data, normality tests, Independent Groups t-Test, Pearson Correlation Analysis, Cronbach's Alpha statistical analysis were applied and values such as frequency, percentage, mean, median, and standard deviation were used in descriptive analysis. In the analysis of the qualitative data, the checklist, the activity plans and the notes taken were based, and the conceptual framework of the research was used. The obtained data were coded, classified and sub-categories and categories were created. The organized data were defined and evaluated within the framework of the researches. In addition, the relationships between the defined data are discussed and explained. The internal validity and reliability of the data obtained from the research were provided by expert examination. Within the scope of the research, it was found that there is a positive relationship between preschool teachers' science self-efficacy, and their professional experience and educational status; that children's science motivations did not differ according to age and gender; there was a positive relationship between the frequency of science activities applied, and teachers' science self-efficacy and children's science motivation. Moreover, it has been determined that there was a positive relationship between preschool teachers' science self-efficacy and children's science motivation. Additionally, a significant majority of preschool teachers preferred traditional methods and techniques; the materials and the time allocated to science activities were not sufficient for each child in the class to practice; the teachers were inadequate in terms of ensuring active participation and motivation of children, attracting attention and graphicness; and also, there were inconsistencies between the activity plans and the practices. Within the context of the results obtained, suggestions were gived for preschool teachers and researchers.