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Introduction: This study investigates the relationship between science learning self-efficacy and science identity, examining how gender and science success moderate this relationship. Methods: Using a quantitative approach with Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling, data from high school students in Moscow, Almetyevsk, Khabarovsk cities from Russia were analyzed. Results: The research highlights the significant positive impact of integrative science competence, practical science application, and science communication efficacy on science identity. Interestingly, gender did not significantly influence the efficacyidentity relationship, suggesting its minimal role in this context. Conversely, science success, particularly in conjunction with science communication efficacy, played a notable role, indicating a complex interplay that could affect students' science identity. Discussion: These findings emphasize the need for educational strategies that bolster students' self-efficacy in science, catering to the development of a strong science identity. Future research should explore the nuanced effects of success and communication efficacy on science identity, aiming to inform interventions that support diverse and equitable participation in science education and careers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionThis study investigates the relationship between science learning self-efficacy and science identity, examining how gender and science success moderate this relationship.MethodsUsing a quantitative approach with Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling, data from high school students in Moscow, Almetyevsk, Khabarovsk cities from Russia were analyzed.ResultsThe research highlights the significant positive impact of integrative science competence, practical science application, and science communication efficacy on science identity. Interestingly, gender did not significantly influence the efficacy-identity relationship, suggesting its minimal role in this context. Conversely, science success, particularly in conjunction with science communication efficacy, played a notable role, indicating a complex interplay that could affect students’ science identity.DiscussionThese findings emphasize the need for educational strategies that bolster students’ self-efficacy in science, catering to the development of a strong science identity. Future research should explore the nuanced effects of success and communication efficacy on science identity, aiming to inform interventions that support diverse and equitable participation in science education and careers.

This paper examined the conceptual understanding, self-efficacy, and scientific creativity of the students in Physics. The study further investigated the significant difference observed in the study variables according to sex and grade level using multivariate analysis. Using descriptive model of research design, the 125 Senior High School (SHS) students were asked to fill out the Physics Conceptual Understanding (PCU) test, Science Learning Self-Efficacy Scale (SLSE), and Scientific Creativity (SC) test. After the score were tallied and organized, two-way MANOVA was administered to determine the difference in the outcome variables when grouped according to sex and grade level. Based on Pillai’s Trace as revealed, there was a statistically significant difference in independent variables based on grade level. The analysis further revealed that PCU (𝑝=0.675) and SLSE (𝑝=0.101) are unaffected, while SC (𝑝=0.010) is influenced by the grade level. This study uncovered that there is no sex difference observed, while statistical variation exists in terms of grade level specifically to SC. This concludes that PCU, SLES, and SC is not affected by their sex identity but are associated on their academic level. Implications for practice into classroom are discussed and further suggestions of future research are provided.

Introduction: Environmental education has long been closely related to sustainable development. In this study, in response to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), an augmented reality (AR) digital picture book was created using the unique natural ecosystem of Taiwan's Orchid Island as a source of self-efficacy for science learning. Methods: Interactive environmental education learning through AR drawing was used to determine whether students' science learning self-efficacy and environmental attitudes significantly influenced the environmental behavioral skills of culturally diverse children. In this study, 26 elementary sixth-grade Taiwanese students and 26 elementary sixth-grade Japanese students were invited to participate in an extended reality drawing activity as an environmental education curriculum. Results: Based on the sample size of 52, the survey results were accurate with a sampling error of 3.8% with a confidence level of 95%. A questionnaire survey was administered to the 52 students after the event. After the valid questionnaire samples were collected, a partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis was conducted with Smart PLS 3.0 on the small sample. The results of the study showed that students who had a better self-efficacy in science learning were more likely to engage in conservation actions related to the natural environment in their daily lives. Discussion: In this study, the constructs of environmental behavior were further discussed and the hypothesis model was validated using the quantitative empirical method. The results of the study revealed good reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity of the constructs in the hypothesis model, and the hypothesis model itself was validated. In the validated model, students' science learning self-efficacy affects the sustainability of their environmental behaviors, but only through the role of environmental attitudes. However, the environmental attitudes construct plays a fully mediating role in the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used three previously validated instruments, namely Science Academic Hardiness (SAH), Students' Conceptions of Learning Science (COLS) and Science Learning Self-Efficacy (SLSE) on 431 Singaporean students. Using structural equation modeling, results showed that the SAH commitment dimension a positive predictor explaining both the reproductive (e.g. science learning as memorizing or testing) and constructivist (e.g. science learning as understanding or seeing in a new way) conceptions of science learning as well as all dimensions of students' self-efficacy among high school students. It was also found that the SAH control dimension is a positive predictor for explaining the SLSE science communication dimension but is a negative predictor for explaining reproductive COLS. Finally, only students with constructivist COLS had significant associations with all SLSE dimensions. These findings suggest that students' personal commitment to learning science is an important aspect to cultivate since it has the ability to predict conceptions of science learning and self-efficacy. Further, creating opportunities for students to be engaged in learning through constructivist ways—such as designing tasks to help students understand and see phenomena in new ways and occasions for students to apply their science knowledge to solve science problems—is likely to lead to positive self-efficacy in practical science work, science communication, and everyday applications of scientific knowledge. Additionally, students' engagement in reproductive ways of learning science—such as memorization, testing, and calculating and practicing—could be reduced since these do not contribute to building students' science learning self-efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the current research was to develop an instrument for high school students aiming to explore the satisfaction and frustration of their basic psychological needs of autonomy, relatedness, and competence while learning science and to investigate their relation to self-efficacy in science learning. This research involves two studies. In study 1, a total of 392 students (32% females) were solicited from high schools in Taiwan. The results of exploratory factor analysis showed, as expected, that the students' responses were grouped into autonomy satisfaction, autonomy frustration, relatedness satisfaction, relatedness frustration, competence satisfaction, and competence frustration. The regression analysis results indicated that students whose psychological needs were satisfied displayed higher self-efficacy while learning science; however, students whose psychological needs were frustrated showed lower science learning self-efficacy. Study 2 involved 699 students (33.5% females) from high schools in Taiwan. The results of confirmatory factor analysis suggest that the survey items have good construct validity. The results of structural equation modeling also revealed that satisfaction of psychological needs was the positive factor in explaining self-efficacy; on the other hand, frustration of psychological needs did not predict self-efficacy. The findings revealed that the satisfaction of psychological needs of autonomy, relatedness, and competence provides potential impetus for positive functioning with respect to science learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite the growing body of research on self-efficacy, previous studies have failed to clarify exactly how it is constructed. Meanwhile, the literature indicates that, in Taiwan, junior high school students tend to show lower self-efficacy in learning science compared with elementary and senior high school students. Purpose: This study aimed to develop a mediational model providing the factors accounting for Taiwanese junior high school adolescents' science learning self-efficacy (SLSE), especially from the perspectives of both interpersonal and intrapersonal factors. Design: We therefore proposed a mediational model to delineate the relationships among students' perceived responses to capitalization attempts - science learning (PRCA-SL), science learning hardiness (SLH) and SLSE by conducting structural equation modeling (SEM). Sample: A total of 1,170 junior high school students in Taiwan were invited to take part in the study. Results: The results confirmed our hypothesis that students' PRCA-SL fostered their science learning hardiness, which in turn contributed to their science learning self-efficacy. Conclusions: The findings confirmed the mediational model wherein science learning hardiness completely mediated the relationship between PRCA-SL and science learning self-efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Science learning self-efficacy could be regarded as a multi-factor belief which comprises different aspects such as cognitive skills, practical work, and everyday application. However, few studies have investigated the relationships among these factors that compose science learning self-efficacy. Also, culture may play an important role in explaining the relationships among these factors. Accordingly, this study aimed to investigate cultural differences in science learning self-efficacy and examine the relationships within factors constituting science learning self-efficacy by adopting a survey instrument for administration to students in the U.S. and Taiwan. A total of 218 university students (62.40% females) were surveyed in the U.S.A, and 224 university students (49.10% females) in Taiwan were also invited to take part in the study. The results of the structural equation modelling revealed cultural differences in the relationships among the factors of science learning self-efficacy. It was found that U.S. students’ confidence in their ability to employ higher-order cognitive skills tended to promote their confidence in their ability to accomplish practical work, strengthening their academic self-efficacy. However, the aforementioned mediation was not found for the Taiwanese participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the factors accounting for science learning self-efficacy (the specific beliefs that people have in their ability to complete tasks in science learning) from both the teacher and the student levels. We thus propose a multilevel model to delineate its relationships with teacher and student science hardiness (i.e., the courage that is needed to turn stressful changes from burdens into advantageous growth in science education settings). The current research was conducted through collecting survey responses from both teachers (i.e., using the self-report teacher science hardiness questionnaire) and students (i.e., using the self-report student science hardiness and the self-report science learning self-efficacy questionnaires). A total of 45 Taiwanese science teachers were solicited from junior high schools. Also, we recruited students who were taught by these 45 teachers. In total, 1145 junior high school students whose ages ranged from 12 to 16, with a mean of 13.68 (SD = 0.90), were invited to take part in the study. Of these students, 268 were in the seventh grade, 430 were in the eighth grade, and 447 were in the ninth grade. The results of hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) confirmed our hypothesis that teacher science hardiness fostered student science hardiness, which in turn contributed to the students' science learning self-efficacy. The findings revealed that both teacher and student science hardiness play important roles in explaining the structure of science learning self-efficacy. To enhance science learning self-efficacy, educators should develop programs for teachers and students to increase their science hardiness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Environmental education has long been closely related to sustainable development. In this study, in response to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), an augmented reality (AR) digital picture book was created using the unique natural ecosystem of Taiwan's Orchid Island as a source of self-efficacy for science learning., Methods: Interactive environmental education learning through AR drawing was used to determine whether students' science learning self-efficacy and environmental attitudes significantly influenced the environmental behavioral skills of culturally diverse children. In this study, 26 elementary sixth-grade Taiwanese students and 26 elementary sixth-grade Japanese students were invited to participate in an extended reality drawing activity as an environmental education curriculum., Results: Based on the sample size of 52, the survey results were accurate with a sampling error of 3.8% with a confidence level of 95%. A questionnaire survey was administered to the 52 students after the event. After the valid questionnaire samples were collected, a partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis was conducted with Smart PLS 3.0 on the small sample. The results of the study showed that students who had a better self-efficacy in science learning were more likely to engage in conservation actions related to the natural environment in their daily lives., Discussion: In this study, the constructs of environmental behavior were further discussed and the hypothesis model was validated using the quantitative empirical method. The results of the study revealed good reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity of the constructs in the hypothesis model, and the hypothesis model itself was validated. In the validated model, students' science learning self-efficacy affects the sustainability of their environmental behaviors, but only through the role of environmental attitudes. However, the environmental attitudes construct plays a fully mediating role in the model., Competing Interests: The author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Chen.)

In the past, students’ science learning self-efficacy (SLSE) was usually measured by questionnaires that consisted of only a single scale, which might be insufficient to fully understand their SLSE. In this study, a multi-dimensional instrument, the SLSE instrument, was developed and validated to assess students’ SLSE based on the previous literature. Besides, the interrelations between students’ approaches to learning science and SLSE were explored. A total of 311 Taiwanese eighth graders were invited to respond to the SLSE instrument and the Approaches to Learning Science (ALS) questionnaire. After ensuring several types of validity (e.g. construct validity and criterion-related validity) and the reliability of the SLSE questionnaire, the results suggested that the SLSE instrument should have satisfactory validity and reliability to measure Taiwanese eighth graders’ SLSE in terms of 5 dimensions: Conceptual Understanding, Higher-Order Cognitive Skills, Practical Work, Everyday Application, and Science Communication. Moreover, through Pearson correlation analyses, the results revealed that the Taiwanese eighth graders who perceived themselves as having a deep motive, along with the orientation of surface motive, tended to report higher SLSE. Also, those students who reported adopting deep strategies to learn science were more likely to possess higher SLSE. The regression results indicated that, overall, the students’ deep strategies and deep motive were strong predictors of their SLSE, particularly for the Higher-Order Thinking Skills SLSE. Yet, the Practical Work SLSE could only be predicted by the Deep Strategy dimension of ALS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Past studies have shown significant associations between students’ conceptions of learning science and their science learning self-efficacy. However, in most of the studies, students’ science learning self-efficacy has often been measured by a singular scale. Purpose: Extending the findings of these studies, the present study adopted a multi-dimensional instrument to assess Taiwanese high school students’ science learning self-efficacy and investigate the relationships with their conceptions of learning science. Sample: A total of 488 Taiwanese high school students (265 male and 223 female) were invited to participate in this survey. Design and method: All the participants responded to the Conceptions of Learning Science (COLS) questionnaire regarding ‘Memorizing’, ‘Testing’, ‘Calculating and practicing’, ‘Increase of knowledge’, ‘Applying’ and ‘Understanding and seeing in a new way’ and the Science Learning Self-Efficacy (SLSE) instrument, including ‘Conceptual understanding’, ‘Higher-Order cognitive skills’, ‘Practical work’, ‘Everyday application’ and ‘Science communication’. Results: The path analysis results derived from the structural equation modeling method indicated that, of all five SLSE dimensions, the ‘Understanding and seeing in a new way’ COLS displayed as a positive predictor, while the ‘Testing’ COLS was a significant negative predictor. The ‘Applying’ COLS item can only positively contribute to the SLSE dimensions of ‘Higher-Order thinking skills’, ‘Everyday application’ and ‘Science Communication’. Conclusions: In general, students in strong agreement with learning science as understanding and seeing in a new way or the application of learned scientific knowledge are prone to possess higher confidence in learning science. However, students who consider learning science in terms of preparing for tests and examinations tend to hold lower science learning self-efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]