Primary education teachers' self-efficacy beliefs for teaching Geography lessons. Issue 2 (3rd April 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bent, Gert Jan; Bakx, Anouke; den Brok, Perry
• Is Part Of: International research in geographical and environmental education. Volume 26:Issue 2(2017)
• Page Start: 150
• Page End: 165
• Publication Date: 2017-04-03
• Subjects: Geography education -- self-efficacy -- teacher beliefs -- teacher characteristics -- primary education teachers; Environmental education -- Periodicals; Geography -- Study and teaching -- Periodicals; 333.707
• DOI: 10.1080/10382046.2016.1235358
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1038-2046

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This study was carried out to investigate the primary education teachers' self-efficacy regarding geography education, their beliefs regarding the classroom learning environment, and how these beliefs were related to each other and to teachers' background characteristics. Questionnaire data were collected from 489 Dutch primary school teachers. Primary education teachers displayed moderately strong self-efficacy for teaching geography. The overall results suggested that teachers believed that surface learning is relatively an important parameter of teaching geography. The study found out that support from their colleagues was considered less important by teachers in promoting geography education. Teachers' beliefs concerning geography education quality and students' attitudes and motivation were the most important predictor variables for explaining differences in teachers' self-efficacy.