The Relationship Between Science Teachers' Self-Efficacy and Anxiety Regarding Out-of-School Learning and Middle School Students' Informal Science Experiences

Abstract

Pestalozzi emphasised that nature and life outside school are valuable teachers for children, stating, ‘When the birds are chirping beautifully and a worm is crawling on a leaf, stop your language studies immediately. Know that the bird and the worm teach the child better and more.’ All educational activities that take place outside of school throughout an individual's life are defined as ‘out-of-school education,’ and the learning occuring during this process is defined as ‘out-of-school learning.’ The scope of out-of-school learning environments is quite broad, and these environments are often considered as ‘learning laboratories.’ The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between science teachers' self-efficacy beliefs and anxiety levels regarding out-of-school learning and the levels of science experience acquired by the secondary school students taught by these teachers in informal settings. A correlational research design was utilized as a quantitative method in the study. The study sample consisted of 100 science teachers working in state schools in Eskişehir during the academic year of 2022-2023 and 2,767 secondary school students attending these teachers' classes. Convenience sampling was adopted to determine the study sample. The following data collection tools were used: Teacher Self-Efficacy Beliefs Scale for Out-of-School Learning Activities, Anxiety Level Assessment Scale for Out-of-School Learning Environments, a personal information form, and the Science Experience in Informal Settings Scale. The findings indicate a significant relationship between science teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs regarding out-of-school learning and their ability to design and organize out-of-school learning activities. However, no significant differences in self-efficacy beliefs were observed with respect to training related to out-of-school learning environments, years of professional experience, or graduation background. Furthermore, science teachers’ levels of anxiety toward out-of-school learning did not differ significantly across any of the examined variables. A moderate negative correlation was identified between teachers’ anxiety levels and their self-efficacy beliefs. Finally, science teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs and anxiety levels were found not to significantly predict students’ science experiences acquired in informal learning settings.