Self-efficacy beliefs are important for teachers to conduct Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). Self-efficacy instruments for teaching ESD mainly focus on primary education, and theory-driven instruments are lacking. Thus, we developed an instrument for secondary education reflecting eight subcategories of a science teaching pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) model, transferred to teaching ESD. We conducted an exploratory factor analysis (n₁ = 162) and a confirmatory factor analysis (n₂ = 236) with mainly pre-service biology, politics, and geography teachers for secondary education. We identified seven self-efficacy beliefs of teaching ESD factors. Six of these factors showed an expected low or middle correlation with self-rated content knowledge of SD-relevant issues (divergent validity). Pre-service teachers’ ESD teaching self-efficacy beliefs were rather positive, missing clear differences due to studying biology, politics, and geography. Bachelor students had higher self-efficacy beliefs than Master of Education students regarding four factors. Only 32 of 113 Bachelor students completed any ESD course at that time. They could have overestimated their own skills or underestimated teaching ESD. Current participation in at least one ESD course positively influenced three self-efficacy factors. Since barely any pre-service teacher currently participated in or completed more than three ESD courses at the time of the study, there is room for a stronger focus on ESD in German teacher education.

Interdisciplinary science teaching is an issue in various countries. One example in Europe is Germany, especially regarding comprehensive schools. At the same time, German teacher education is primarily subject-specific. An examination of data on self-efficacy beliefs is helpful for understanding the qualifications of teachers for interdisciplinary science. Previous measurement instruments for teaching biology, chemistry, physics, and science lack a literature-based, theory-based, or curricular-valid measurement or a systematic obstacle to overcome. Thus, to meet these requirements, this research developed a draft for a new instrument to measure self-efficacy beliefs of interdisciplinary science teaching (SElf-ST). As the theoretical base, the instrument operationalizes a model of pedagogical content knowledge for teaching science and adapts it to self-efficacy beliefs. In a cross-sectional study (N = 114 pre-service and trainee teachers), a ten-factor-solution for self-efficacy beliefs resulted from an exploratory factor analysis (Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin-criterion = 0.858, α = 0.70–0.86). Nine factors are linked to the theoretical model. An additional tenth factor emerged: Teaching Ethically Relevant Issues. Nine factors show low and medium correlations with teaching experience. Eight factors show at least low correlations with self-rated content knowledge in no less than one of the three subjects. In general, science-specific factors show rather low or medium correlations, and generic factors (e.g., Applying Media, and Applying Methods of Evaluation) show low or no correlations. This result is in accordance with the context specificity of self-efficacy beliefs. These results meet most of the research expectations and provide initial indications of the concurrent, curricular, and divergent validity of the SElf-ST instrument. The paper argues for the development of a new, theory-based instrument to measure self-efficacy beliefs of interdisciplinary science teaching.

Current research on self-efficacy beliefs of interdisciplinary science teaching indicates shortcomings in facing recent teaching challenges in secondary education and corresponding valid instruments. Thus, we designed the Self-Efficacy Beliefs of Interdisciplinary Science Teaching (SElf-ST) instrument based on a pedagogical content knowledge model for science teaching. We ensured the factorial validity of ten factors. To bring construct validity down to a round figure, we examined convergent and divergent validity in this paper. For answering the overall research question regarding arguments for the convergent and divergent validity of the interpretation of the SElf-ST instrument’s test values (and related hypotheses), we analyzed data of pre-service, trainee, and in-service biology, chemistry, and physics teachers (n = 590) in a cross-sectional study. While the strong latent correlations of the ten SElf-ST factors with self-efficacy beliefs of interdisciplinary science teaching in primary education (r = 0.40 – 0.63, p < 0.01) indicate convergent validity, the rather weak correlations with self-efficacy beliefs of general teaching (r = 0.17 – 0.54, p < 0.01), self-rated content knowledge in science (r = 0.13 – 0.40, p < 0.01), and perceived stress (r = -0.13 – -0.19, p < 0.01) support different divergent validity intensities. Thus, assumed relations within the nomological net surrounding the self-efficacy beliefs of interdisciplinary science teaching construct were confirmed for secondary education. In sum, we shed light on a rarely explored aspect of construct validity in science education research regarding self-efficacy beliefs. Doing so, we gained strong arguments that the SElf-ST instrument’s test values can serve as indicators of self-efficacy beliefs of interdisciplinary science teaching in secondary education.

Interdisciplinary science teaching in (lower) secondary education can lead to out-of-field teaching in countries with a discipline-specific teacher education. For example, the discipline-specific teacher education in Germany does not fit the current demands of interdisciplinary science teaching, especially in comprehensive schools. Self-rated content knowledge (srCK)—a specific part of academic self-concept—of (prospective) teachers is important in the context of motivational orientations and due to the reciprocal relation of academic self-concept and performance. Previous research did not focus on the long-term development of core idea-based srCK regarding secondary education. Thus, we surveyed 271 (prospective) teachers of biology, chemistry, and physics three times (2019–2021). In addition, we surveyed seven chemistry and physics pre-service teachers participating in a biology content knowledge (CK) course. Taking into account measurement invariance, we used structural equation modeling and latent change models. The srCK of biology, chemistry, and physics showed a high relative and absolute stability. We did not find any correlation between srCK of biology and chemistry. SrCK of chemistry and physics always showed a small positive correlation. SrCK of biology and physics always had a strong negative correlation. Supporting these results, studying physics had a negative effect on the srCK of biology, and studying chemistry had a positive effect on the srCK of physics. Additionally, studying the subject of the srCK in question always had a strong positive effect. Though srCK seems to be time-stable, a biology CK course for pre-service chemistry and physics teachers showed strong positive changes in their srCK of biology. Thus, training in an unstudied subject could help to cope with the undesired time-stability of srCK. In addition, the strong negative correlation between the srCK of biology and of physics needs to be addressed in teacher education.

The advantages and challenges of interdisciplinary science teaching and the respective qualification of teachers are an ongoing topic of discussion, especially in countries with no or only partly interdisciplinary science teaching in secondary education. For example, German secondary science teacher education is almost exclusively discipline-specific. Up to now, research does not focus on the effect of German teacher education qualifying for interdisciplinary science teaching in secondary education from a longitudinal perspective. Thus, we were interested in the influence of current German science teacher education over time: Do (prospective) teachers believe they are capable of interdisciplinary science teaching (i.e., self-efficacy beliefs)? How do their beliefs develop during teacher education? Which advantages and challenges do they perceive regarding interdisciplinary science teaching? Do their perceptions change over time? We surveyed 271 (prospective) biology, chemistry, and physics teachers in 2019, 2020, and 2021. Examining the absolute stability (i.e., the change in the mean) of the self-efficacy beliefs showed no significant changes. Analyzing the relative stability (i.e., the change in the rank order) of the self-efficacy beliefs showed middle and positive correlations between the measurements of neighboring time points. The prospective teachers agreed in majority (>50%) with nine out of seventeen advantages and seven out of seventeen challenges of interdisciplinary science teaching. Three advantages reached over 70% approval: Cross-linking content, Addressing key problems, and Promoting interest in science. Four challenges reached over 70% approval: Lack of teacher education, Out-of-field teaching, Lack of depth in content, and Low motivation of teachers due to low affinity to and education in the subject. Neither do the perceptions change strongly between the time points (absolute and relative stability) nor are they very stable. Moreover, it seems that the (prospective) teachers realize the complexity of interdisciplinary science teaching, e.g., regarding experimentation or missing material, with progressing teacher education. The results, rather including no positive effect of two years of teacher education on self-efficacy beliefs, reveal obstacles for teacher education as well as starting points to support (prospective) teachers regarding interdisciplinary science teaching.