Exploring Science through Stories: Investigating Effects on Teachers’ Self-Efficacy and Preschoolers’ Scientific Skills and Curiosity


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UYANIK G., GÜNŞEN G., Azaklı T. K., Değirmenci Ş., Çelik B., Aydın D., ...More

Early Childhood Education Journal, 2026 (SSCI, Scopus) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Publication Date: 2026
  • Doi Number: 10.1007/s10643-026-02234-4
  • Journal Name: Early Childhood Education Journal
  • Journal Indexes: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, IBZ Online, Child Development & Adolescent Studies, Education Abstracts, Educational research abstracts (ERA), ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Psycinfo
  • Keywords: 5E model, Preschool children, Preschool teachers, Science education, Story-based learning
  • Open Archive Collection: AVESIS Open Access Collection
  • Marmara University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

This study investigates how Story-Based 5E Teacher e-Workshops affect preschool teachers' science education self-efficacy beliefs and their students' scientific skills and curiosity. The research was conducted in kindergartens in İstanbul using a quasi-experimental design with three randomly assigned groups: experimental group 1 (41 teachers/144 children), experimental group 2 (39 teachers/137 children), and the control group (38 teachers/135 children) experimental group 1 received Story-Based 5E Teacher e-Workshops, experimental group 2 only read science stories, and the control group followed the regular curriculum. Three validated scales measured teachers' self-efficacy beliefs and children's scientific process skills and curiosity before and after the 10-week intervention. Data analysis revealed significantly higher post-test scores in teachers' self-efficacy beliefs and children's scientific development in experimental group 1, compared to both experimental group 2 and the control group. experimental group 2 showed only minor improvements, whereas the control group exhibited no significant changes. These findings suggest that story-based 5E model training effectively enhances both teachers' professional competence and students' scientific development in preschool education.