Abstract
M.Ed. (Curriculum Studies)
Dozens of Teaching Science practitioners and educational administrators are asking fundamental questions today about the objectives of teacher education programs, the content of programs, instructional methods and quality of education of teachers. They recognised that current Teaching Science practices must be examined, evaluated, and in some cases, developed. There are obvious limits to the effectiveness of these Teaching Science programs to give prospective teachers skills necessary to be successful in their classrooms.
This study investigates the guidelines for the improvement of Teaching Science at Colleges of Education that can ensure prospective teachers with ways of understanding the culture of classrooms and schools. The research was based on the assumption that, for prospective teachers to learn to teach effectively, they should be inculcated with an enriched structure and content of the subject Teaching Science curriculum, and valuable teaching knowledge should be communicated to them during their professional training process.
In order to understand this problem in its total context an in depth study of the literature survey on the process of teacher education in the Republic of South Africa and the selected areas in the world was done. Data was collected from the interviews with the Heads of Education Department and beginner teachers and questionnaires were administered with principals of schools, Teaching Science lecturers and second and third year student-teachers.
The data corpus includes case observations from prospective teachers on Teaching Practice. Their lesson plans, presentation of the teaching skills and post class reflection notes were analysed. Their subject expositions were also audiotaped to provide contextual descriptions.
Findings indicate that there are many areas in which the subject Teaching Science curriculum needs improvement if it is to maintain its high degree of producing school teachers which the community will recognise and respect. The findings corroborated the hypotheses that the subject Teaching Science curriculum helps prospective teachers to be autonomous and active agents in their classrooms.
The following are some of the most important findings:
With regard to their lecturing, the majority of students claimed that many Teaching
Science lecturers are ineffective classroom practitioners. It is revealed that Teaching
Science lecturers who are less qualified are unfamiliar with the subject Teaching Science
lecturing strategies whereas the highly qualified staff is always satisfied with its lecturing.
Many student-teachers regarded Teaching Practice as a stressful time because they were
not guided effectively by their Teaching Science supervisors on how to write genuine
lesson preparations and schemes of work. Teaching Practice sessions are usually held at
the beginning of the professional course.
At that time students do not have maturity and knowledge of the theory on which teaching
is based. Overall it appeared to show that theory and practice at Colleges of Education
are still far apart and student-teachers are not given direct experience with the children
they are going to teach.
-In all Colleges of Education, Teaching Science facilities such as micro-teaching
laboratory. dark room and media centre, are inadequate,
-The study also revealed that the subject Teaching Science curriculum at Colleges of
Education is more boring, less fun, more repetitious, discouraging, unattractive and less
competitive. Students are not equipped with the subject Teaching Science curriculum to
present interesting lessons. Beginner teachers are incapable of controlling their classes.
marking registers and writing accurately on the chalkboard. It is because of this and other
reasons that most student-teachers were always absent for Teaching Science periods.
-The survey further revealed that the majority of beginner teachers are shy, self-centred
and unable to establish good order in the classroom.
-The traditional lecturer/teacher-centred approach in which the educator transfers
information to learners is outdated, It was found that new approaches to assist
prospective teachers may have important potential which needs to be explored diligently.
-Based on the data collected and literature review the researcher provides proposals for
the improvement of the subject Teaching Science curriculum at Teachers' Training
Colleges. It is the wish of the researcher that this set of recommendations be effective
tools in helping preservice teachers become successful teachers