Teachers' Beliefs and Knowledge in School Science in Relation to Their Classroom Observation Rating

Abstract

The present study seeks to determine the relationship between teachers' beliefs and knowledge in School Science, students' perceptions of teachers' knowledge, and teachers' self-assessments, in relation to the ratings they received from classroom observations. There were 39 teachers and 390 students surveyed using an adapted research instrument. The findings highlight a nuanced relationship between teachers’ beliefs, knowledge, and classroom performance. Although teachers strongly believe in inquiry-based approaches, their subject matter knowledge remains a concern. This gap could hinder the effective teaching of complex science concepts. The lack of a significant relationship between beliefs and observation ratings suggests that external factors—such as evaluation criteria, school resources, and administrative practices may influence classroom performance ratings more than teachers’ personal beliefs or knowledge. The alignment between teachers’ strengths in instructional adaptability and students’ recognition of these strengths reinforces the importance of responsive teaching practices. However, the weak scores in Subject Matter Knowledge (SMK) suggest that professional development should focus on deepening teachers’ mastery of scientific content.