The Relationship between Learning Atmosphere and Teachers' Self-Efficacy with Academic Achievement in Science Class: the Mediating Role of Attitude to Science

The objective of present study is to investigate on the atmosphere of teacher’s learning and self-efficacy with the approach of academic achievement in science courses and their mediating role. In this research, scientific self-efficacy of the teacher and learning atmosphere are the predicting variables and attitude toward science as an intermediate variable and academic achievement as a criterion variable in the model.The participants of the research included 300 students (boys and girls) of sixth grade Elementary school of Behbahan City with their 50 teachers. These students were evaluated using attitude scale for science and technology questionnaire (Akpinar et al, 2009), Learning Climate Questionnaire (Williams and Deci, 1996) and a science achievement test. Teachers answered to Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (STEBI) (1990). .Findings of analysis of regression and analysis of variances showed that learning atmosphere can predict academic achievements in students positively and significantly. But self-efficacy of the teachers with two dimensions of individual self-efficacy and teaching outcomes could not predict academic achievement significantly. Besides, learning Climate could estimate attitude to sciences positively, but self-efficacy of the teachers with two aspects of individual self-efficacy and teaching outcomes could not predict attitude to sciences.