Assessing Pre-Service Teachers‘ Competencies in Teaching Basic School Science Curriculum: A Case Study

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to assess pre-service teachers’ competencies in teaching basic school science curricula, and the challenges they encountered in teaching basic school science. A case study approach was used as the research design, which is qualitative in nature. Forty (40) research pre-service teachers were selected for the study to gain a deeper understanding of the phenomenon under investigation. The researchers used interviews and observation schedules. An observation checklist was also used during the macro-teaching to collect data by ticking appropriately between 1 and 5 on a Likert ranking scale list of the competencies pre-service teachers exhibited in the teaching process. The semi-structured interview schedule called the preservice teachers’ interview schedule (PTIS) consisted of open-ended interview questions. The interview was audiotaped, coded, and edited to find similar themes that emerged. The interview for each research participant lasted for 15–20 minutes. Thematic analysis was used to examine the data from the interviews and classroom observations. The study findings revealed that preservice teachers demonstrated knowledge and understanding of lesson planning and delivery. Most of the schools visited for the study showed a paucity of curriculum materials for science teaching. It is therefore recommended that the government of Ghana provide adequate curriculum materials for basic school science teaching. Pre-service teachers should produce no-cost and low-cost improvised teaching and learning materials as project work. This will reduce the challenge of teaching and learning materials in basic schools.