ATTITUDE OF TEACHERS AND ITS IMPACT ON THEIR INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICE

Collins Owusu-Fordjour

doi:10.46827/ejes.v8i8.3845

Abstract

This study investigated the attitude of Integrated Science Teachers in Senior High Schools and its impact on their instructional practice. The study employed the quantitative research approach adopting the descriptive survey design. The study employed the use of questionnaire and observation checklist to collect data from 138 participants. This attitude towards the subject stems from the perception these respondents have had about the subject for so many years since perception influences one's attitude towards an event. These attitudes also influence their expectations of how their teaching can effectively help students learn which adversely affects their attitude towards the instructional process. It was also realised that persons’ attitude towards instruction affects the demeanour and how the person carries out the instruction. The study therefore concludes that teacher’s competency and positive attitude towards instructional practice could contribute to effective teaching and students’ achievement. Knowledge on the subject matter of the curriculum that the teachers are required to teach influence the teachers’ own perception of the subject that influences their attitude. Integrated Science teaching skills is highly technical therefore; teachers’ personal development training enhances the content knowledge of teachers in Integrated Science as well as classroom management skills should be enhanced as this will go a long way to impact on the teachers’ attitude in the classroom. Article visualizations:<img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0888/a.php" alt="Hit counter" />

Highlights

IntroductionSome stakeholders are of the view that teachers who are the implementers of the curriculum are not involved in any curriculum reforms
According to Hannula, (2002) students taught by female teachers performed significantly better than students taught by male teachers in English Language, Mathematics, Science and Social studies
The results indicated that 30.4% of the respondents recounted that the teaching of the subject is boring to them, 13% were unable to tell if the teaching of the subject interests them or not while 56.6% disagreed to the boring nature of the subject

Summary

Introduction

Some stakeholders are of the view that teachers who are the implementers of the curriculum are not involved in any curriculum reforms They are taken aback when new concepts are introduced into the curriculum for students to be taught such concepts (Ministry of Environment, Science, and Technology, 2010) cited in Azure (2015). The dearth of Integrated Science teachers in Ghana and the lack of teaching skills and competencies among teachers are the result of their poor instructional approaches (Jones, 2008) and their negative attitude towards the Integrated Science as a subject. The present crop of teachers who teach Integrated Science have been trained in specific subject areas of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Agriculture Science. They generally lack the skills of teaching Integrated science as a unified whole

Methods

Results

Conclusion