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Teachers' perceptions, learning and self-efficacy in using curriculum resources in the enactment of the new primary science syllabus
This study aims to gain insights into the factors that influence primary three science teachers’ perceptions of the usefulness of an integrated suite of curriculum resources for the implementation of the new 2023 Primary Science Syllabus in both lesson planning and enactment. The suite of resources comprises the textbook (TB), activity book (AB), Sparkle Kits (Sp Kit), Students’ Learning Space (SLS), Teaching and Learning Guide (TLG), and Young Scientist Cards (YS). Curricular resources are not self-acting, and hence understanding teachers’ perceptions of these resources and how the factors affect teachers’ interactions with these resources in their professional practices is fundamental for teachers’ learning and growth. I focus on teachers’ sense making when considering personal professional practices and science teaching self-efficacy when adopting and adapting these resources.
Data, in the form of a 26-questions 5-point Likert questionnaire, were collected from 187 primary three science teachers from all primary schools in Singapore. Teachers rated the usefulness of each resource based on four curriculum themes with a score of 1 to 5 (a score of 1 as the least useful and 5 as the most useful). Descriptive statistics, paired t-test and ANOVA, were used to determine the teachers’ perceived usefulness of each resource and its relationship to the years of experience in science teaching and science training qualifications. Additionally, five participating teachers were asked to complete a science teaching self-efficacy instrument (Bleicher, 2004) consisting of twenty five-point Likert scale closed-response items that measures the Personal Science Teaching Efficacy (PSTE) and Science Teaching Outcome Expectancies (STOE) of educators (Riggs & Enochs, 1990). Furthermore, these teachers were also asked to share their experiences while learning to use or customising the integrated suite of resources during their lesson planning and enactment. This might provide glimpses into their science teaching self-efficacy.The mean number of years of science teaching experience was 13.08 years ± 7.62, with the highest proportion of primary science teachers having taught science for 6 to 10 years. Novice teachers with up to five years of science teaching experience rated the Teaching and Learning Guide and Sparkle Kits as most useful resources in supporting their lesson planning and enactment. Of the six resources, Sparkle Kits had the highest mean score of perceived usefulness for lesson planning and lesson enactment while the Young Scientist cards were perceived to be the least useful during lesson planning and lesson enactment. The usefulness of each resource was not dependent on the curricular themes.
The findings of this study suggest that continuous review and renewal of curricular resources, paired with professional development differentiated by the needs and experiences of teachers could make teacher learning more meaningful, resulting in teachers being more self-efficacious. To better support teachers with up to five years of science teaching experience, the Teaching and Learning Guide could be reviewed to include more educative features to support the novice teachers and intentionally used as a primer for professional discussion, mentoring, and sharing among senior, experienced, and novice teachers.