IJECE Published Articles

Abstract This study investigated the predictive relationships between teacher self-efficacy, inquiry-based pedagogy (IBP) implementation, and digital competence among STEM faculty at North Eastern Mindanao State University (NEMSU). Utilizing a quantitative descriptive-comparative and predictive research design, data were collected from 100 STEM educators across seven constituent campuses. Analysis involved Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) to purify research constructs and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to determine the extent of influence between variables. The results revealed that while faculty report a high baseline of instructional self-efficacy (M=3.486), a measurable "theory-practice gap" exists, characterized by significantly lower confidence in facilitating complex hands-on engineering prototypes and open-ended scientific investigations. Furthermore, a significant "innovation dip" was observed among faculty in the 7–9-year experience bracket, suggesting that instructional routines become fixed without targeted mid-career intervention. The structural model confirmed that self-efficacy is a potent engine for pedagogical change, explaining a substantial 30.4%of the variance in inquiry-oriented facilitation (β=0.552, p<0.001). Conversely, its predictive power over digital mastery was notably constrained (10.2%), identifying a "pedagogical-digital dissonance" where high internal confidence is bottlenecked by external infrastructural barriers. The study concludes with the Integrated STEM Teacher Competency Framework, advocating for a synchronized dual-pathway strategy. This approach recommends pairing psychological empowerment through career-stage-specific coaching and reverse-mentoring with urgent structural digital upgrades to ensure pedagogical willingness is matched by technological opportunity. These findings provide institutional leaders with an empirical roadmap to sustain instructional excellence and bridge the divide between theoretical confidence and practical mastery in regional state universities. Keywords: STEM Education, Teacher Self-Efficacy, Inquiry-Based Pedagogy, Digital Competence, PLS-SEM, Tertiary Education, Philippines.