Teacher Efficacy and Attitudes Toward STEM (T-STEM) Survey: Development and Psychometric Properties
The T-STEM survey invites teachers to give information about:
- Their self-efficacy for teaching;
- Their belief that teachers affect student learning;
- How often students use technology;
- How often they use certain STEM instructional practices;
- Their attitudes toward 21st century learning;
- Their attitudes toward teacher leadership; and
- Their awareness of STEM careers.
Five versions of the T-STEM survey have been developed: one for each teaching area of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), and one for elementary teachers.
| Construct | Measurement Application |
|---|---|
| Personal Teaching Efficacy and Beliefs | self-efficacy and confidence related to teaching the specific STEM subject |
| Teaching Outcome Expectancy Beliefs | degree to which the respondent believes, in general, student-learning in the specific STEM subject can be impacted by actions of teachers |
| Student Technology Use | how often students use technology in the respondent’s classes |
| STEM Instruction | how often the respondent uses certain STEM instructional practices |
| 21st Century Learning Attitudes | attitudes toward 21st century learning |
| Teacher Leadership Attitudes | attitudes toward teacher leadership activities |
| STEM Career Awareness | awareness of STEM careers and where to find resources for further information |
Note: Item #5 in the Personal Teaching Efficacy and Beliefs construct, “I wonder if I have the skills necessary to teach [STEM subject],” is negatively worded. All other items are positively worded.
The Personal Teaching Efficacy and Beliefs (PTEB) construct and the Teaching Outcome Expectancy Beliefs (TOEB) constructs were derived from a well-known survey of science teachers, the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument, or the STEBI (Riggs & Enochs, 1990). The Student Technology Use construct was developed from the Student Technology Needs Assessment, or STNA (SERVE Center, 2005). The STEM Instruction construct was based on items that were developed by The Friday Institute and used in a statewide evaluation of the professional development activities of North Carolina’s Race to the Top grant (Corn, et al., 2013). The 21st century learning attitudes construct was adapted from the Friday Institute’s Student Learning Conditions Survey (2011).Finally, each item in the Teacher Leadership Attitudes construct was taken from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s professional standards for educators (2012). The versions of the T-STEM Survey vary in the specific subject area referenced in the survey items. For example, one item is written in the Science T-STEM, “I am continually improving my science teaching practice,” and in the Math T-STEM the same item is written, “I am continually improving my math teaching practice.” The Elementary T-STEM includes both versions of the science-specific and math-specific items since most elementary teachers teach both. The 21st Century Learning Attitudes, Teacher Leadership Attitudes, and STEM Career Awareness sections, however, are identical across all five survey versions.
Validity and Reliability
The pilot Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, and Elementary T-STEM Surveys (which included only the PTEB and TOEB constructs) were administered to 257 science teachers, 72 technology teachers, 17 engineering teachers, 120 math teachers, and 218 elementary teachers. Formal analysis was only done on science, math, and elementary teachers due to sample sizes. Survey items were edited based on analysis uniformly across all five survey versions. Based on results from factor analysis and confirmed through feedback, four survey questions were dropped that did not load properly on any version. Other items that cross-loaded, or did not load in a consistent manner across all survey versions, were reworded and retained in the survey. Student achievement language was changed to student growth language, and negative or confusing wording was removed. Five new constructs were added based on logic models derived from additional research and project goals for analysis: Student Technology Use, STEM Instruction, 21st Century Learning Attitudes,Teacher Leadership Attitudes, and STEM Career Awareness. When sample size permitted, the five revised teacher surveys were analyzed again using exploratory factor analysis. Each factor performed as expected and no additional changes were found necessary for the survey. The construct reliability levels, measured with Cronbach’s Alpha, are:
| Construct | Number of Items | Cronbach’s Alpha | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Science (n=154) | Technology (n=59) | Engineering (n=9) | Math (n=102) | Elementary (n=228) | ||
| Personal Teaching Efficacy and Beliefs | 11 | .908 | N/A | N/A | .943 | .905 (Sci) .939 (Math) |
| Teaching Outcome Expectancy Beliefs | 9 | .814 | N/A | N/A | .849 | .854 (Sci) .895 (Math) |
| Student Technology Use | 8 | .900 | N/A | N/A | .869 | .943 |
| STEM Instruction | 14 | .934 | N/A | N/A | .929 | .95 |
| 21st Century Learning Attitudes | 11 | .948 | .948 | .948 | .948 | .948 |
| Teacher Leadership Attitudes | 6 | .870 | .870 | .870 | .870 | .870 |
| STEM Career Awareness | 4 | .945 | .945 | .945 | .945 | .945 |
References
Corn, J., et al.(2013) Second Annual Race to the Top Professional Development Evaluation Report: Part II Local Outcomes Baseline Study. Raleigh, NC: Friday Institute for Educational Innovation, North Carolina State University. Available from http://cerenc.org
North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. (2012). North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards. Raleigh, NC. Retrieved from http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/effectiveness-model/ncees/standards/prof-teach-standards.pdf
SERVE Center (2005).
Riggs, I.M., & Enochs, L.G. (1990). Toward the development of an Elementary Teacher’s Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument. Science Education, 74(6), 625-637.
The William and Ida Friday Institute for Educational Innovation. (2011). Governor Perdue’s North Carolina Student Learning Conditions Survey (SLCS): Survey Implementation Study. Raleigh, NC: Author.
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PDF Related Resources
Survey Instrument – Teacher Efficacy and Attitudes Toward STEM (T-STEM) Survey – Elementary Teachers
The Teacher Efficacy and Attitudes Toward STEM (T-STEM) Survey for Elementary Teachers is intended to measure changes in elementary teachers’ confidence and self-efficacy in STEM subject content and teaching, use of technology in the classroom, 21st century learning skills, leadership attitudes, and STEM career awareness.
The Teacher Efficacy and Attitudes Toward STEM (T-STEM) Survey – Engineering Teachers is intended to measure changes in engineering teachers’ confidence and self-efficacy in STEM subject content and teaching, use of technology in the classroom, 21st century learning skills, leadership attitudes, and STEM career awareness.
The Teacher Efficacy and Attitudes Toward STEM (T-STEM) Survey – Mathematics Teachers is intended to measure changes in math teachers’ confidence and self-efficacy in STEM subject content and teaching, use of technology in the classroom, 21st century learning skills, leadership attitudes, and STEM career awareness.
Survey Instrument – Teacher Efficacy and Attitudes Toward STEM (T-STEM) Survey – Science Teachers
The Teacher Efficacy and Attitudes Toward STEM (T-STEM) Survey – Science Teachers is intended to measure changes in science teachers’ confidence and self-efficacy in STEM subject content and teaching, use of technology in the classroom, 21st century learning skills, leadership attitudes, and STEM career awareness.
Survey Instrument – Teacher Efficacy and Attitudes Toward STEM (T-STEM) Survey – Technology Teachers
The Teacher Efficacy and Attitudes Toward STEM (T-STEM) Survey – Technology Teachers is intended to measure changes in technology teachers’ confidence and self-efficacy in STEM subject content and teaching, use of technology in the classroom, 21st century learning skills, leadership attitudes, and STEM career awareness.
Projects
Maximizing the Impact of STEM Outreach through Data-Driven Decision-Making (MISO)
MISO is a campus-wide project that seeks to determine the collective STEM impact of NC State University through its pre-college outreach and extension programs.
Published
December 12, 2012
Resource Type
Survey Instrument
Published By
Friday Institute for Educational Innovation
Suggested Citation
Friday Institute for Educational Innovation (2012). Teacher Efficacy and Beliefs Toward STEM Survey. Raleigh, NC: Author.