The Effect of Research-Based Learning on Self-Efficacy in Reviewing the State of Research, Methodological Skills, and Scientific Communication

Abstract

Using research-based learning (RBL) in pre-service teacher education is important for professional and academic development. Moreover, RBL offers profound opportunities for pre-service teachers to be involved in an actual research process. This can contribute to the development of pre-service teachers' research competencies and strengthen scientific communication. However, there is a lack of experimental interventions in the literature examining the effects of integrating RBL into undergraduate course content on pre-service teachers' research skills and self-efficacy in scientific communication. The current study aims to explore the effectiveness of RBL integration in a research course process. In this context, the impact of the experimental intervention on participants' review of the research situation, their self-efficacy in methodological skills and scientific communication, and the relationships between these factors was examined. There were 134 pre-service teachers in the experimental group and 136 in the control group. The implementation process lasted 12 weeks. Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) and Multiple Group Analysis (MGA) were applied to the measurements made at T0 before and T1 after the experiment. The results showed that the RBL intervention contributed to developing methodological skills and self-efficacy in scientific communication. At this point, practical implications for the implementation of RBL were made.