Exploring Turkish K-12 pre-service and in-service teachers’ STEM self-efficacy - A systematic review

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Ophelia

Teachers’ self-efficacy in STEM teaching is presented as a key determinant of STEM education effectiveness, since teachers shape students’ interest and engagement. A systematic review examines STEM self-efficacy among Turkish K-12 pre-service and in-service teachers, drawing on 25 empirical studies from ERIC, WoS, Scopus, and DergiPark. The synthesis reports study characteristics, then identifies factors, demographic influences, and implementation challenges affecting self-efficacy.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages24

Reading Time1 h 0 min

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Abstract

Introduction

Conceptual Framework

Exploring Turkish K-12 pre-service and in-service teachers’ STEM self-efficacy: A systematic review Selvet Ece Genek* The Ohio State University, Department of Teaching and Learning, STEM Education, Columbus, OH, US, [genekilgaz.1@osu.edu](genekilgaz.1@osu.edu) Lin Ding The Ohio State University, Department of Teaching and Learning, STEM Education, Columbus, OH, US, [ding.65@osu.edu](ding.65@osu.edu) *Corresponding Author | ABSTRACT | Teachers' self-efficacy in teaching STEM subjects is a crucial factor influencing the overall effectiveness of STEM education. Teachers have a major role in fostering students' interest and engagement in STEM disciplines. To address this importance, a systematic review of STEM self-efficacy with Turkish inservice and pre-service teachers at the K-12 level was conducted. This review included 25 empirical studies from ERIC, WoS, Scopus, and DergiPark databases. The analysis first focused on the descriptive characteristics of the studies, including their distribution over time, methodologies, and research designs. Subsequently, emerging themes categorized into key factors influencing STEM self-efficacy among preservice and in-service K-12 teachers. We found that a high level of STEM attitudes, awareness, and comprehensive professional development programs significantly affected teachers’ self-efficacy in teaching STEM. Demographic variables, such as gender, area of specialty, pre-service teachers’ year of enrollment, in-service teachers’ experience, and graduate degrees also play an important role in their STEM self-efficacy. Challenges in implementation, such as classroom management, resource constraints, and student readiness are barriers to STEM self-efficacy. This study draws attention to the critical need for comprehensive professional development to improve STEM self-efficacy and to effectively integrate STEM education in K-12 settings. | | --- | --- | | Keywords: | K-12 teacher education, STEM education, STEM self-efficacy | Genek, S. E., & Ding, L. (2026) . Exploring Turkish K-12 pre-service and in-service teachers’ STEM self Citation: efficacy: A systematic review. Turkish Journal ofEducation, 15(1), 41-64. [https://doi.org/10.19128/turje.1715589](https://doi.org/10.19128/turje.1715589) INTRODUCTION Interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education, both in research and in practice, has been steadily growing worldwide (Kennedy & Odell, 2014; Li et al., 2020), with a similar trend observed in Türkiye (Çepni, 2018; Yılmaz et al., 2018) . Nonetheless, there is no clear consensus within the educational community regarding a precise definition of STEM education (Wang et al., 2011) or regarding the best practices for its instruction (Thibaut et al., 2018) . However, STEM education is commonly conceptualized as an interdisciplinary approach to teaching and learning that integrates science, technology, engineering, and mathematics with real-world problems (Stohlmann et al., 2012) . Although these four disciplines are frequently mentioned together, pioneering studies in the literature broadly include efforts to integrate into two or more subject areas (Johnson, 2013; Kelley & Knowles, 2016; Sanders, 2009) . STEM education extends across both formal and informal learning environments at all levels from early childhood to postdoctoral studies (Gonzalez & Kuenzi, 2012) . Regardless of whether students pursue careers in STEM, it is essential for everyone to develop a foundational level of literacy in these disciplines to make informed decisions and tackle today’s complex personal and societal challenges. (National Research Council [NRC], 2011) . Additionally, developing STEM literacy increases individuals' decision-making abilities by enabling them to better understand and address realworld issues related to their lives and the environment. Upon examining Türkiye’s STEM education initiatives, it was observed that since 2014 such efforts have larg

FAQs

What does the study focus on regarding STEM education in K-12?

It focuses on teachers’ STEM self-efficacy and how it relates to implementing STEM education effectively in K-12 settings.

How was the systematic review conducted?

The review included 25 empirical studies from ERIC, WoS, Scopus, and DergiPark, and first analyzed study characteristics before synthesizing emerging themes.

Which factors were found to influence Turkish K-12 teachers’ STEM self-efficacy?

High STEM attitudes, awareness, and comprehensive professional development were reported as significant influences, along with demographic variables and implementation context factors.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Ophelia