scholarly journals Instructional Leadership Capacity of Secondary School Science Heads of Department in Gauteng, South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (12) ◽  
pp. 267-293
Author(s):  
Cynthia B Malinga ◽  
Loyiso C Jita ◽  
Abiodun A Bada
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Instructional Leadership ◽  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Science Teachers ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
School Science ◽  
Natural Sciences ◽  
Leadership Capacity ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Science Disciplines

Natural sciences (NS) is an amalgam of five science disciplines, but the teachers of this subject are usually generalists, or have specialised in a maximum of two of the disciplines. This poses a major challenge to heads of department (HoDs), who are expected to lead instruction in these disciplines. We investigate science HoDs’ capacity to provide instructional leadership in South African secondary schools. The study was quantitative in nature and adopted the survey design. The investigation involved 77 secondary schools out of the 243 schools in the Gauteng province of South Africa. A data set from 142 participants (HoDs = 30; teachers = 112) was used to explore the capacity of science HoDs to provide instructional leadership in secondary schools, using questionnaires. The findings suggest that the capacity of science HoDs to lead instruction is limited by their inability to differentiate between curriculum management and instructional leadership and the relatively insufficient time allocated to provide instructional leadership. Unless schools and local district offices review the grouping of subjects in science departments and in the allocation of natural science teachers and HoDs, much stronger subject-based instructional leadership may potentially continue to remain a mirage. We recommend more focused subject-specific training in natural sciences for both teachers and HoDs, and that leadership should be distributed along science disciplines.

scholarly journals Middle Management and Instructional Leadership: The Case of Natural Sciences’ Heads of Departments in South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 119
Author(s):  
Cynthia B Malinga ◽  
Loyiso C Jita ◽  
Abiodun A Bada
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Instructional Leadership ◽  
Science Teachers ◽  
Natural Science ◽  
Science Curriculum ◽  
Classroom Teacher ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Natural Sciences ◽  
Instructional Leaders ◽  
Disciplinary Culture

Natural sciences heads of departments often find themselves in the middle, shuttling between one role as part of the school management team, and another as an ordinary classroom teacher whose role as subject and instructional leaders is made even more complex because of the several duties incorporated in the subject which brings together other science disciplines, with each having its own disciplinary culture and expectations. The crucial role played by this group of teachers in the area of management and instructional leadership can go a long way in determining effective output in teaching and learning. This study reports on a mixed methods approach to explore the practices of natural sciences heads of department, as they provide instructional leadership to the teachers in a multidisciplinary context of their subject. This research involved 30 participants who responded to the questionnaire and 6 purposively selected subject heads of department interviewed and observed from four districts in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. The data collected through questionnaire, semi-structured interview and observations were analysed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. The results from this investigation revealed that natural science heads of departments devise creative ways to mitigate the challenge of differently qualified natural science teachers. These study concludes that the effectiveness of heads of departments as instructional leaders is influenced by the immense pressure from the dual roles of managing from the middle, which also appear to affect the optimal implementation of the natural science curriculum.

scholarly journals CHALLENGE LEARNING FOR TEACHERS IN RURAL GWERU ZIMBABWE

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 295
Author(s):  
Gladwin Bhebhe ◽  
Matiya Mugurani
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Science Teachers ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
School Science ◽  
Direct Impact ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
Secondary School Science ◽  
Attitudes Towards Science ◽  
Home Background

The study established that rural day secondary school science teachers face a number of challenges, including inadequate teaching and learning materials, students’ negative attitudes towards science, conflicts between students’ home background and school science, and absence of science teachers’ associations. These challenges could have a direct impact on the teaching and learning of science in rural day secondary schools. The opening of rural day secondary schools in Zimbabwe was a great challenge in terms of providing science education to all students because the newly opened secondary schools did not have conventional laboratories and equipment that would facilitate the teaching and learning of science. This study sought to find out the challenges faced by rural day secondary school science teachers in Gweru district of Zimbabwe and propose a way forward. Questionnaires, interviews and observations were used to collect data pertaining to the challenges that were faced by the teachers.

scholarly journals The Effects Of High Scientific Literacy, Self-Efficacy, And Achievement Motivation On Teachers Ability To Compose Effective Tests: Case Study From Manado, Indonesia

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 313-326 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cosmas Poluakan
Keyword(s):  
Science Teachers ◽  
Achievement Motivation ◽  
Junior High School ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Scientific Literacy ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
School Science ◽  
High School Science ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional

This research was conducted to determine the effects of high scientific literacy, self-efficacy, and achievement motivation on teachers ability to compose effective tests. It was conducted among junior high school science teachers in Manado, North Sulawesi Province, Indonesia, from April to September 2011, using a cross-sectional survey design. The instruments used in this research consist of questions to measure scientific literacy and teachers ability to make tests, and questionnaires to investigate the self-efficacy and achievement motivation of teachers. A path analysis was used to test the hypothesis that there are direct positive effect of high scientific literacy and self-efficacy, as well as indirect effects through achievement motivation, on teachers ability to compose effective tests. The results show positive influences of (1) high scientific literacy on achievement motivation; (2) self-efficacy on achievement motivation; (3) high scientific literacy on teachers ability to make tests; and (4) achievement motivation toward teachers ability to make tests. However, self-efficacy does not directly affect ability to make tests. The implications of this research are important for inservice/onservice programs (in which inservice refers to academic upgrading and onservice, to on-the-job training) for teachers, especially for those with teaching certificates (as opposed to teachers hired under the common practice of using honorary teachers, paid by stipend not salary, or volunteers).

scholarly journals Reproductive Health Choices Among Adolescents in Secondary Schools: A Case Study of Selected Schools in Limpopo, South Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 319-329
Author(s):  
Netshikweta ML ◽  
Olaniyi FC ◽  
Tshitangano TG
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Reproductive Health ◽  
Parental Involvement ◽  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Sexual Debut ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Limpopo Province ◽  
First Year ◽  
Health Choices ◽  
First Time

Objectives:This study was conducted to determine the knowledge, opinions and practices of female adolescents in selected secondary schools in Limpopo Province of South Africa about reproductive health issues and assess the level of parental involvement in their choices.Materials and methods:A quantitative, exploratory, survey design was adopted. A total of 512 learners from grades 8 (first year of secondary school) and 12 (final year) were conveniently sampled from 24 randomly selected secondary schools in Limpopo Province. Data was collected with a structured, self-administered questionnaire and analysis was done using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0.Results:Sixteen (3.9%) of the learners attained menarche at or before the early age of 8 years and 102 (29.3%) experienced sexual debut before age 14 years. More than half of grade 12 (n =84, 52.5%) and 49 (14%) of grade 8 learners were sexually active and 80% (n = 444, 86.7%) of them were unaware of contraceptives when engaging in sexual intercourse for the first time. Only 116 (22.7%) of the respondents admitted to having knowledge about contraceptives before engaging in sex for the first time and more than a third (n = 172, 33.6%) have been pregnant at least once before the study was conducted. Parental involvement in Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) education was found to be low and many obtained the little information they have mainly through friends.Conclusion:Many adolescents are lacking in vital information regarding their SRH and some hold wrong opinions about contraception. Parents are advised to initiate and sustain discussions regarding SRH with their children to help them make informed reproductive health choices.

Professional Development Needs to Improve Teaching Science in Secondary Schools: Case Study of Mbeya, Tanzania

2020 ◽  
pp. 5-24
Author(s):  
Charles Ephraim Kibona ◽  
Joyce Sifa Ndabi ◽  
Isack Ephraim Kibona
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Science Teachers ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Teaching Science ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Significant Difference

Aim: This study examined pedagogy and subject content needs for Professional Development (PD) to improve teachers’ skills in teaching science in secondary schools in Mbeya, Tanzania. Study Design: The study employed a quantitative research approach and cross-sectional survey design. Methodology: The main instrument used for the study was questionnaire. In this study, schools were randomly selected, and 256 respondents, science teachers were selected through stratified sampling technique. The data collected were analyzed quantitatively. Results: Science teachers need Professional Development (PD) in Pedagogical Knowledge (PK), masterly of science subject contents and technological skills of modern teaching. There was no significant difference in the mean scores for components of pedagogy knowledge between teachers who teach math subject and those who teach physics, chemistry and biology at  using independent samples t-test. Teachers need of PD in subject content in topics were as follows: accounts (61.7%), genetics (46.2%), electromagnetism (44.2%), electronics (40.4%), circles and the Earth as a sphere (29.6%), statistics and probability (28.4%), inorganic chemistry (25%), and ionic theory and electrolysis (24.1%). Conclusion: Science and mathematics teachers in Secondary schools need PD intervention in the subject content of science subjects.

scholarly journals FrogVLE Application in Science Teaching in Secondary Schools in North Malaysia: Teachers’ Perspective

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 262
Author(s):  
Ramli ◽  
Saleh
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Learning Environment ◽  
Science Teaching ◽  
Science Teachers ◽  
Virtual Learning ◽  
School Science ◽  
Virtual Learning Environment ◽  
Secondary School Science ◽  
Real Picture

The frogVLE application was launched in Malaysia to provide a virtual learning environment in order to produce competitive and relevant students in the 21st century. As science is one of the most important subjects for the development of a nation, the perspective of teachers as policy implementers should be taken into account in ensuring that the desire is achieved. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the level of application of frogVLE in secondary school science teaching in the northern peninsular of Malaysia. This qualitative study involved 50 secondary school science teachers in Perak, Kedah, Penang and Perlis. Each respondent was required to answer a questionnaire which consists of 20 questions. Five teachers were randomly interviewed by the researcher. The data were analyzed descriptively. The analysis results provide a real picture of how the frogVLE application is used in teaching, as well as the issues, challenges and suggestions for improvements in frogVLE while teaching secondary school science subjects. The findings from this study are expected to help the Ministry of Education to develop programs and improve the use of the frogVLE application in teaching science in secondary schools. In conclusion, a virtual learning environment such as the frogVLE application can only be used optimally to help improve science teaching excellence if the relevant issues are solved and supportis received from all parties.

scholarly journals Making Simple Electric Circuit with Potato: Introducing Easy DIY Science Lab Activity to Secondary School Students

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 8
Author(s):  
Monica Prima Sari ◽  
Rani Oktavia ◽  
Rahmah Evita Putri
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Science Teachers ◽  
Science Learning ◽  
Secondary School Students ◽  
Electric Circuit ◽  
School Science ◽  
School Students ◽  
Electric Circuits ◽  
Do It Yourself

Laboratorium activity and experiment related to Dynamic Electricity topic in secondary schools have always been a “scary” thing to science teachers in Indonesia, especially to those with more experience in teaching Biology than Physics. To our surprise, the problem was more related to teacher’s confidence to conduct lab acitivy rather than to the availability of experiment kit in school. Our visit to two schools in Padang revealed that each school has sufficient amout of experiment kit for Electricity but the science teachers were too scared to take students to lab and get nervous when something is not working, or too scared to damage the kit. Therefore, we would like to offer a solution to overcome this problem by intoducing an easy do-it-yourself simpe electricity circuit with potato. The activity is expected to build more confidence in teachers to conduct lab activity and make science learning more fun to the students. Keywords — electric circuits, electricity from potato, school science, simple science experiment, dynamic electricity

scholarly journals ANALYSIS OF THE STATE OF COLLABORATION BETWEEN NATURAL SCIENCE SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICIALS AND PRIMARY SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHERS IN SOUTH AFRICA

2015 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 586-598
Author(s):  
Bongani D. Bantwini
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Science Teachers ◽  
Curriculum Reform ◽  
Natural Science ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
School Science ◽  
The State ◽  
Policy Document ◽  
Effective Collaboration

Collaboration and synergy among education stakeholders is a fundamental pillar for any educational reform success. The reported research analyses the state of collaboration and work dynamics that existed between natural science district officials and primary school teachers in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Data were collected through interviews conducted with science district officials and teachers and policy document review. The results focuses on past previous experiences with officials as barrier towards effective collaboration, work dynamics between science district officials and science teachers in their districts, impact on and implications for curriculum reform implementation and professional development. It is argued that effective collaboration between district officials and teachers is a hallmark of curriculum reform success, teacher growth and success in the workplace, which result in student academic achievement. Effective collaborations are built around trust in individual’s professional integrity and are characterised by professional candour, appreciation of individuals and understanding. In conclusion, it is imperative for district officials and teachers to improve communication and strive for effective collaboration, mutual respect, and power sharing rather than domination of one group by the other. Key words: district officials, science teachers, primary schools, collaboration, South Africa.

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