Assessing Mississippi AEST teachers' capacity for teaching science integrated process skills

The purpose of this study was to determine Mississippi Agricultural and Environmental Science and Technology (AEST) teachers' capacity to teach science integrated process skills. Three instruments, (the Test of Integrated Process Skills, the Index of Learning Styles, and the Science Self-Efficacy Belief Statement), were administered to 24 teachers attending a professional development workshop. AEST teachers had a satisfactory level of capacity to teach integrated process skills with "Identifying Variables" and "Operationally Defining" being their strengths. Teachers preferred a reflective, visual, sequential, and sensing learning style and were confident in their ability to teach science. Teachers who possessed a reflective learning style had a higher capacity to teach integrated process skills. Teachers should be made aware of the results of this study and should engage in appropriate professional development activity to further develop their capacity to teach integrated process skills and maintain their confidence to teach science concepts.