Teacher self-efficacy for science teaching in elementary education: Teachers’ expectations and beliefs in Chile

Katherine Acosta-García; Sandra Ramírez Hernández; Eduardo Valdivia Oyarzo; Julio Labraña Vargas

doi:10.29333/ejmste/19426

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Katherine Acosta-García ¹ ^* , Sandra Ramírez Hernández ¹ , Eduardo Valdivia Oyarzo ¹ , Julio Labraña Vargas ¹

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¹ University of Tarapacá, Arica, CHILE^* Corresponding Author

Abstract

Teacher self-efficacy is recognized as a key factor in science teaching, however, there is limited evidence from highly complex border contexts. This study examined science teaching self-efficacy beliefs among in-service elementary teachers in the northern border region of Chile, using the science teaching efficacy belief instrument A. With a total sample of n = 332, the internal consistency of the science teaching self-efficacy (α = .84, ω = .82) and outcome expectancy (OE) (α = .78, ω = .79) dimensions was examined, and a simple linear regression model was estimated to assess the relationship between science teaching self-efficacy and OE. The results reveal a positive and statistically significant relationship between self-efficacy and OE (b = 0.265, R² = .102, p < .001). These findings indicate that self-efficacy significantly predicts OE, conditioned by the institutional and territorial context.

Keywords

teacher self-efficacy
science teaching
elementary education
outcome expectancy

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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Research Article

EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed, Volume 22, Issue 10, October 2026, Article No: em2936

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/19426

Publication date: 26 Sep 2026

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APA

Acosta-García, K., Ramírez Hernández, S., Valdivia Oyarzo, E., & Labraña Vargas, J. (2026). Teacher self-efficacy for science teaching in elementary education: Teachers’ expectations and beliefs in Chile. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 22(10), em2936. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/19426

Vancouver

Acosta-García K, Ramírez Hernández S, Valdivia Oyarzo E, Labraña Vargas J. Teacher self-efficacy for science teaching in elementary education: Teachers’ expectations and beliefs in Chile. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2026;22(10):em2936. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/19426

AMA

Acosta-García K, Ramírez Hernández S, Valdivia Oyarzo E, Labraña Vargas J. Teacher self-efficacy for science teaching in elementary education: Teachers’ expectations and beliefs in Chile. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2026;22(10), em2936. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/19426

Chicago

Acosta-García, Katherine, Sandra Ramírez Hernández, Eduardo Valdivia Oyarzo, and Julio Labraña Vargas. "Teacher self-efficacy for science teaching in elementary education: Teachers’ expectations and beliefs in Chile". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education 2026 22 no. 10 (2026): em2936. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/19426

Harvard

Acosta-García, K., Ramírez Hernández, S., Valdivia Oyarzo, E., and Labraña Vargas, J. (2026). Teacher self-efficacy for science teaching in elementary education: Teachers’ expectations and beliefs in Chile. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 22(10), em2936. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/19426

MLA

Acosta-García, Katherine et al. "Teacher self-efficacy for science teaching in elementary education: Teachers’ expectations and beliefs in Chile". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, vol. 22, no. 10, 2026, em2936. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/19426