Senior High School Chemistry Teachers' Feedback Practices And How Students Perceive And Use Them

Abstract

The study investigated senior high school Chemistry teachers' feedback practices and how their students perceive and use them. SHS in the Greater Accra Region were categorised into three groups based on their percentage passes (A 1 - C6) in Chemistry in the 2017 WASSCE. Stratified purposive sampling were used to select one school from each group for the study. A total of 118 Form 2 students and 3 teachers from the 3 schools participated in the study. The study involved class observation of Chemistry teachers and their students using a case study approach. Other data collection methods included the use of questionnaires and focus group discussions. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic content analysis. The study revealed that majority of the students found their Chemistry teachers' feedback useful. All four levels of feedback were found among Chemistry teachers' feedback practices. However, the prominent level of feedback was task level feedback. Majority of the students preferred process level feedback. It was recommended that Chemistry teachers should take time to progress feedback from task level to self-regulatory level via process level rather than over emphasising task level feedback. They should also plan assignments, tests and practical work well to ensure that students are engaged in self-regulatory feedback. Teachers should be macle aware of and trained on all the four major ways students use teacher feedback to enhance students' experiences of these approaches to leaming. This will help improve Chemistry teachers' pedagogy and their students learning outcomes.