Share Paper: The Influence of Science Teachers on High School Students’ Science Motivation: An Analysis Using a Nationally Representative Large-Scale Data Set

  1. Adem Ekmekci, Rice University, United States
  2. Danya Serrano Corkin, University of Houston-Downtown, United States

Abstract: This study examined the degree to which science teacher qualifications, characteristics, and practices influence high school students’ motivational beliefs about science. Marrying a social cognitive career theoretical framework with a teacher quality theoretical framework, this study explored teacher-related variables as a contextual variable shaping students’ motivation towards science. A nationally representative, large-scale data set—the High School Longitudinal Study 2009 (HSLS:09) was used to conduct hierarchical regression analyses. After controlling for student demographics, results indicated that teacher’s self-efficacy beliefs, a college or graduate science degree, and science instructional practices were found to be positively associated with students’ motivation in science.