Empowering Future Science Teachers: Boosting SelfEfficacy Through an Intervention Programme Based on Digital Material Design
Abstract
Grounded in experiential learning, the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge framework and social cognitive theory, the present study examines the effects of an intervention programme based on digital material design on the self-efficacy of pre-service science teachers in developing digital teaching materials in the context of teacher education in Türkiye. A one-group pretest–posttest experimental design was employed, involving 31 pre-service science teachers who were participating in a 16-week intervention. Data were collected using the Self-Efficacy Scale of Teachers’ Digital Teaching Material Development before and after the intervention, and the collected data were analysed through descriptive and inferential statistical methods. The findings revealed a statistically significant increase in the pre-service science teachers’ overall and general self-efficacy related to digital material development, with the most notable gains observed in the “development” dimension. In contrast, no significant changes were found in the “design” and “negative view” dimensions, indicating that the intervention had differentiated effects across self-efficacy dimensions. These results suggest that while interventions based on digital material design can effectively enhance pre-service teachers’ confidence in improving and using digital materials, additional or more targeted instructional support may be necessary to strengthen design-related competencies and attitudinal change. The study contributes to the limited empirical literature on digital teaching self-efficacy by providing a structured, semester-long intervention model; however, its generalisability is constrained by the single-group design, small sample size and country-specific context. Future research employing comparative designs and larger samples is recommended to further examine the mechanisms through which interventions based on digital material design influence distinct dimensions of digital teaching self-efficacy in diverse educational settings.
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