The effect of inquiry based professional development activities on elementary Science and Technology teachers science process skills and self-efficacy and inquiry based teaching beliefs

It is obviously important to educate individuals as science and technology literate to create a strong future with the effect of changes and developments occuring in the field of science and technology. In our country Turkey, science and technology curriculum which was restructured in 2004 adopted constructivist learning approach which is based on individuals forming their own knowledge and suggested inquiry based teaching as a powerful tool that allows students to learn. It is pre-requisite for using inquiry based learning as targeted in the curriculum that teachers feel themselves adequate to implement inquiry based teaching.In this context, the aim of the study was determined to provide development of teachers? inquiry based teaching skills and self-efficacy and changes in their beliefs via inquiry based professional development activities. In the study, teachers? beliefs, self efficacy beliefs toward inquiry method and skills were also examined whether there were changes according to their gender and teaching experience. Dependent variables of the study are teachers? self efficacy beliefs, beliefs about inquiry-based teaching method and science process skills. Independent variable of the study is inquiry-based professional development activities. In this study ?one group pre-test post-test model? was used. The study group included 30 elementary science and technology teachers working in the various schools in İzmir. Teachers? participation in the study was based on their volunteerism and accessibility. Activities were designed with the aim of affecting teachers? beliefs in a positive way about inquiry based teaching and developing their skills. ?İnquiry-based Science Teaching Self Efficacy Scale?, ?Beliefs about Inquiry- based Teaching Scale? and ?Science Process Skills Test? were used as data collection tools. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with nine teachers after the activities. According to data obtained from study, meaningful differences were found between the scores of science process skills test, beliefs about inquiry-based teaching and self efficacy toward inquiry-based teaching scale before and after the implementation. It was also found that teachers? self efficacy beliefs toward inquiry method varied according to their gender although their scores of science process skills test and beliefs about inquiry based teaching scale did not vary. When test and scales scores were examined according to their teaching experience, it was seen that scores were not statistically meaningful. Semi-structured interviews also supported the effectiveness of inquiry-based professional development activities.On the basis of the study, it is suggested that the number of practical professional development training should increase, preservice teachers should be provided to be familiar with inquiry method in undergraduate courses and Science and Technology Curriculum should include inquiry based lesson plans and activities. It is also suggested that teacher gains from practical professional development training can be investigated in terms of different variables and with regard to how they reflects these gains into classrom. Key Words: Inquiry-based Professional Development, Self-Efficacy Perception, Science Process Skills, Beliefs About Inquiry-based Teaching, Science and Technology Teachers.