Teaching hands‐on science activities: Variables that moderate attitude‐behavior consistency

Abstract The relationship between prospective elementary teachers' attitudes, subjective norms, and intentions to teach science using hands‐on activities at least twice a week during their first year of employment was investigated. The findings suggest that measuring prospective teachers' attitudes toward science cannot adequately predict nor provide a satisfactory explanation of their science teaching behaviors. The findings also provide clear support for two hypotheses derived from Fishbein and Ajzen's theory of reasoned action regarding the predictability of prospective teachers' intentions to teach science from their attitudes and subjective norms.