Impact of Science Beliefs, Teaching Efficacy, and Incentives on Preschool Science Teaching: A Moderated-Mediation Model

Abstract

Preschool teachers ability and willingness to adopt scientific practice teaching are affected by internal and external factors. A question therefore arises: Do organizational incentives, as an external environmental factor (extrinsic motivation), strengthen or weaken the effect of science beliefs (internal factor) on preschool teachers scientific practice teaching? We conducted a study with 1,331 teachers from kindergartens in China using voluntary, online, and anonymous questionnaires, implemented through the questionnaire Star application. Evidence shows that science beliefs have a significant positive effect on scientific practice teaching, with teaching efficacy mediating this relationship. Organizational incentives have a significant negative moderating effect on the relationship between science beliefs and scientific practice teaching and teaching efficacy. In this way, organizational incentives and scientific beliefs have a substitutional effect on scientific practice teaching and teaching efficacy. Therefore, preschools with lower incentive levels should aim to implement effective organizational incentives and target teachers beliefs. Those with higher incentive levels should ensure their incentives are effective and enhance teachers science beliefs to further strengthen teachers scientific practice teaching.