Journal of Education & Social Policy

A Comparison of Teaching Efficacy Beliefs of Generalist and Subject-Specific Certified Biology Teachers
Agu, Philomena; Ramsey, John

Abstract
The No Child Left Behind act allows secondary science teachers to obtain certification in General Science and subject-specific fields. The Texas Examination of Educator Standard in General Science has low life science contents (30 percent) while the subject-specific exam is higher (75 percent). The state presumes both groups of teachers would teach biology with equal efficacy if candidates did not earn an undergraduate degree in biology or a related field. This study assessed the Personal Efficacy and Outcome Expectancy of the generalist and subject-specific certified teachers for 562 biology teachers in Texas public high schools using adapted Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument. While controlling for undergraduate degree major and teaching experience, a hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that subject-specific and General Science certifications did not yield significant differences. An undergraduate major in teaching subject, biological science, predicted a higher level of each sub-construct than a major in a different field.

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