Abstract

GOYA, Alcides; BZUNECK, José Aloyseo  and  GUIMARAES, Sueli Édi Rufini. Teachers' self-efficacy beliefs and adolescents' motivation to learn physics. Psicol. esc. educ. [online]. 2008, vol.12, n.1, pp. 51-67. ISSN 1413-8557.

The aim of the present research was to assess physics teachers' self-efficacy beliefs in relation to adolescents' motivation and learning strategies used in middle school. A Likert questionnaire was applied to 20 teachers, which was designated to asses their personal efficacy and teaching efficacy beliefs. Two hundred students from three middle schools answered another Likert questionnaire about their motivation and personal strategies in the study of physics. Teachers and their students belonged to ten different schools in three different geographical areas. Among teachers, the scores in personal efficacy measures were higher than in teaching efficacy. In addition, only personal efficacy was positively related to students' motivation. Regarding the students, all measures varied significantly among different classes in the same grade, but no differences were found among grades or among schools. Significant relationships were found between motivation and study strategies in the whole sample and in every grade as well. Suggestions for motivation and teaching in middle school were drawn and for new studies in the area as well.

Keywords : Teachers' effectiveness; Motivation; Physics.

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