| The goal of this study was to investigate the self-efficacies and outcome expectancies of science teachers over time as a result of their participation in an inquiry-based, professional development program designed to ensure that all participants are highly qualified science teachers. Eighty-six teachers participated in inquiry-based activities designed to increase their content knowledge and teaching expertise while increasing their science teaching self-efficacies and outcome expectancies of student learning. This 15-month professional development program included two summer workshops (summers of 2007 and 2008) with an 8-month classroom implementation period in between.;A quasi-experimental research design was used to investigate the change in science teaching efficacy scores after participation in the inquiry-based professional development program and the relationship of this change with selected independent variables. The data consisted of (a) three sets of Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (Riggs & Enochs, 1990) scores, STEBI-Form A (inservice), reported as a pretest, posttest, and follow-up posttest; and (b) demographic variables that were used as covariates: science education background, professional position, number of years taught, and teacher qualification status in science. Using repeated measures and multiple regressions with an alpha level of 0.05, and testing the hypothesized changes and relationships, results indicated that there were gains in Personal Science Teaching Efficacy (PSTE) and Science Teaching Outcome Expectancy (STOE) scores. Of the independent variables, only science education background was found to be a significant contributor toward increasing PSTE (p = .003) scores. The other variables were not predictive of gains in either personal science teaching efficacy or science teaching outcome expectancy.;The data gave insight into possible relationships that may exist between science teachers' self-efficacies and outcome expectancies after participation in an inquiry-based professional development program. This study demonstrated the importance of considering interactions between a given set of independent variables and self-efficacy beliefs. The findings also suggested the possible value of considering factors associated with planning long-term programs for teachers' professional development to include the impact of college courses, an implementation period for incorporating the new ideas, support from colleagues and providing professional development to become Highly Qualified Teachers of science. |
