Teachers’ and Students’ Perceptions on the Teaching of Integrated Science in Abura Asebu Kwamankese District

Abstract

Integrated science is very much important in the affairs of modern education and hence issues related to it have attracted much attention in literature. However, little attention has been paid to the teaching methods of the subject. The focus of the study was to assess the perceptions of teachers and students on the teaching of integrated science in secondary schools in the Abura-Asebu –Kwamankese District in the Central Region of Ghana. In the study, the descriptive research design was used. It focused on collecting primary data from the respondents for quantitative analysis. From a population of 3410, simple random sampling procedure and census were used to sample 358 students and 82 teachers respectively. Self-administered questionnaire was used in collecting the data from a total sample of 440 comprising students and teachers. The study revealed that discussions, question and answer and demonstration are highly used in the schools. It also revealed that there are inadequate teaching and learning resources for the subject within the study setting. It is recommended among others that teachers should explore additional teaching and learning methods as well as instructional methods like group work, visual presentation through the use of ICT tools and debate where necessary. Again, the Ministry of Education and school administrators should set up more practical laboratories and fill them with materials such as conical flask, iodine and burettes. Furthermore, school administrators should make sure that teachers are supervised to take students through practical lessons.