Introduction of inquiry-based science teaching in Rwandan lower secondary schools : teachers' attitudes and perceptions.
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Date
2012
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Abstract
This study describes, discusses and analyses the Rwandan lower secondary school
teachers’ responses to the introduction of inquiry as a teaching approach in the science
curriculum as one of the changes that the curriculum in Rwanda has undergone through in the
aftermath of the 1994 genocide. The study investigates the science teachers’ understanding of
inquiry-based science teaching, their attitudes towards the introduction of inquiry into the
science curriculum, the activities they are engaged in with regard to inquiry-based science
teaching and learning, the factors influencing their current teaching practices and their
perceptions about what may be done for a better implementation of inquiry-based science
teaching.
Guided by a pragmatic research approach, I believed that collecting diverse types of
data would provide a deeper understanding of the research problem and therefore adopted a
two phases’ sequential explanatory mixed methods design. During the first phase, data were
collected by means of a survey questionnaire administered to a purposeful sample of 200
science teachers at lower secondary school in Rwanda. Findings from the survey informed
the second phase consisting of data collection by means of semi-structured one-to-one
interviews with 15 purposefully selected teachers from the sample used in the first phase then
supplemented by a contextual observation in their schools. The data from the questionnaire
were subject to a descriptive statistical analysis while data from interviews were subject to
analysis involving transcribing and reading interview transcripts, coding and categorizing
information, identifying patterns, and interpreting.
The data analysis produced five main assertions providing answers to the research
questions. Participant teachers displayed varying understanding of what inquiry-based
science teaching is, associating it with a number of its characteristics such as a learner centred
teaching approach mostly based on experiments and practical work. There were a few
teachers who did not have accepted understandings of inquiry-teaching. Furthermore,
teachers had a positive attitude towards the introduction of inquiry and favoured the change
even though they indicated a number of factors preventing them from adequately
implementing the new teaching approach. As for their practices, traditional classroom
activities were more frequently used than inquiry-based activities and when they made use of
inquiry, they followed a specific order of activities that led to a more structured type of
inquiry. The study further identified a number of factors influencing both positively and
negatively the implementation of inquiry. The positive aspect was that they find teaching
through inquiry more enjoyable while the shortage of time, the lack of teaching resources and
the lack of confidence associated with inadequate training, influenced negatively the way
they implemented inquiry-based teaching. Teachers highlighted a number of interventions
they felt would make the implementation of inquiry based teaching more effective. The
improvement of resources provision to schools and the implementation of adequate
professional development programmes were the most highlighted. Despite the several
impediments to the implementation of effective use of inquiry, teachers were optimistic
towards the future of science teaching and learning in Rwanda. It is envisaged these findings
will be valuable to a wide range of audiences including science teachers, curriculum
developers, science teacher educators as they may inform them about the implementation of
the new curricula that require teachers to focus on inquiry given the controversy surrounding
this issue in science education.
Description
Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.
Keywords
Science--Study and teaching (Secondary)--Rwanda., Teachers--Rwanda--Attitudes., High school teachers--Rwanda., Theses--Education.