Challenges and Coping Strategies of Science Teachers Handling Non-Specialized Subjects

Background: This study investigated the impact of social media, a component of cloud computing, on science teachers’ effectiveness in secondary schools in Cross River State. Three (3) research questions and three (3) alternative hypotheses guided the study. Methods: A descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. The population of the study comprised 1209 science teachers in public secondary schools in Cross River State. A sample of 487 teachers was drawn from the population using stratified random sampling techniques. The researcher-made structured questionnaire with 18 items was used for data collection for the study. Research question one was answered using the Pearson Product Moment Correlation, while research questions two and three and the hypotheses were answered using the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) statistics in the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) at a 0.05 level of significance. Results: The results of the study revealed that there is a positive correlation between the utilization of social media in teaching and teaching effectiveness among science teachers in secondary schools in Cross River State; there is a negative correlation between gender and utilization of social media among science teachers in secondary schools in Cross River State; and there is a significant correlation between teaching experience and the utilization of social media among science teachers in secondary schools in Cross River State. Conclusion: The study justifies the effectiveness of the Cross River State government policy of introducing cloud computing into the education sector. The study recommends that the policy should be sustained.

Background: This study investigated the impact of cloud resources, a component of cloud computing, on science teachers’ effectiveness in secondary schools in Cross River State. Three (3) research questions and three (3) alternative hypotheses guided the study. Method: The descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. The population of the study comprised 1209 science teachers in public secondary schools of Cross River state. Sample: A sample of 487 teachers was drawn from the population using stratified random sampling technique. The researcher-made structured questionnaire with 18 was used for data collection for the study. Research question one was answered using the Pearson Product Moment Correlation, while research question two and the hypotheses were answered using the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) statistics in the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) at a 0.05 level of significance. Results: The results of the study revealed that there is a positive correlation between the utilization of cloud resources in teaching and teaching effectiveness among science teachers in secondary schools in Cross River state; there is a negative correlation between gender and utilization of cloud resources among science teachers in secondary schools in Cross River state; and that there is a significant correlation between teaching experience and the utilization of cloud resources among science teachers in secondary schools in Cross River state. Conclusion:The study justifies the effectiveness of the Cross River state government policy of introducing cloud computing into the education sector. The study recommends that the policy should be sustained.

The study was conducted to determine the relationship between Secondary School Science Teachers’ Teaching Experience and Students’ Performance in Minna, Niger State, Nigeria. Secondary school Science teachers and students used for this study are Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics teachers and students. The study was guided by one research question and a corresponding hypothesis. Correlational research design was used for the study. A total of one hundred and twenty three (123) Science teachers and three hundred and eighty five (385) Science students made up the sample size of the study. Instrument used for data collection from Science teachers is a Likert type questionnaire designed by the researchers and titled “Questionnaire on Science Teachers’ Teaching Experience (QUSTTE)” The instrument was validated by experts and its reliability coefficient was also determined to be 0.72 using Cranach Alpha statistical tool. Data collected from Science teachers was correlated with SSIII Science students’ Mock examination result conducted by Niger State Ministry of Education (NSMOE) during 2022/2023 academic session to establish a relationship. Findings of the study revealed a positive relationship between Science teachers’ teaching experience and students’ performance. Based on this finding, it was recommended that Science teachers’ teaching experience should be one of the major criterions to be considered by the government during recruitment of Science teachers. In addition, Government should intermittently expose Science teachers to training and retraining programs through seminars, conferences and workshops so as to improve their mastery of their respective subject areas as well as their teaching experience.

<span style="font-family: 新細明體; font-size: small;"> </span><p>Technological pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK) has been one of the steering theoretical concepts widely employed by researchers in order to examine and develop teachers' knowledge of integrating technology into teaching. Existing research on TPACK shows little about in-service secondary school science teachers' TPACK through a quantitative approach. The purposes of this study were to explore TPACK of secondary school science teachers using a new contextualized TPACK model. Associations between in-service teachers' TPACK and other factors were also examined. The TPACK questionnaire was mailed to secondary schools randomly selected across different parts of Taiwan, and return envelopes were provided for completed questionnaires. There were 1292 science teachers from secondary schools for factor analysis. An independent samples <em>t</em>-test was conducted when there were two groups (i.e., gender) to be compared for TPACK. ANOVA was conducted when there were more than two groups (i.e., science teaching experience) compared for TPACK. The results indicated that secondary science teachers' TPACK was statistically significant according to gender and teaching experience. With the consideration of other TPACK sub-components, male science teachers rated their technology knowledge significantly higher than did female teachers. Experienced science teachers tended to rate their content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge in context (PCKCx) significantly higher than did novice science teachers. However, science teachers with less teaching experience tended to rate their technology knowledge and technological content knowledge in context (TPCKCx) significantly higher than did teachers with more teaching experience. The study shows how gender and teaching experience were influential factors for secondary school science teachers' TPACK. The research implications of this study are provided along with suggestions.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"> </p><span style="font-family: 新細明體; font-size: small;"> </span>

Cross-national studies show that mass educational expansion has a significant positive effect on economic growth, mainly at the primary level, but also at the secondary level.' Qualitative features of national school systems such as the provision of textbooks, per-pupil expenditure, and the extent of teacher training also have modest economic effects, especially in the developing world.2 Debate continues on the array of institutional conditions that accentuates mass education's economic impact.3 The present study, by contrast, focuses on a new line of inquiry. It explores the relationship between official curricular policies and longterm economic growth from a cross-national perspective. Specifically, it seeks to determine whether, and to what extent, national variations in curricular content and structure-as distinct from enrollment growth or qualitative provisionssignificantly affect economic development. Comparative educational research typically analyzes the curricular content of national school systems according to a three-tiered classification scheme: the official, intended curriculum; the curriculum as implemented in schools and classrooms; and the curriculum as attained by pupils.4 This study focuses exclusively on the economic consequences of the first tier (the formally prescribed curriculum set forth by national educational authorities)

The study established the teachers' viewpoints on school-based assessment of secondary school science instruction in Anambra State, Nigeria. The research used a descriptive survey methodology. The 158 science teachers employed by the 32 public secondary schools in the Onitsha Education Zone of Anambra State made up the population of the study. Two of the three Local Government Areas of the Zone were chosen using the purposeful sampling technique, and the sample size was all 158 science teachers. "Questionnaire on Teachers Perception of the Use of Different Types of School Based Assessment in Teaching and Learning of Science in Secondary Schools" was a data collection tool created by researchers. It was validated, and Cronbach's alpha formula was used to determine its overall reliability, which was 0.71. For data analysis, mean and standard deviation were employed. According to the study's conclusions, science teachers in secondary schools use formative assessment in the teaching and learning of science courses to a moderate extent. Additionally, summative assessment is highly utilized in the teaching and learning of science subjects in secondary schools by science teachers, as opposed to diagnostic assessment, which is mostly underutilized (low extent). As a result, it was suggested, among other things, that science teachers be encouraged to utilize the many forms of school-based assessment for efficient science teaching and learning.

This study examines the use of literacy and laboratory in science education in secondary schools in Nakivale refugee settlements. Literacy is about students' ability to understand, interpret, and communicate scientific information effectively, while laboratory is about experimental settings and scientific investigations. Although Uganda's Vision 2040 promotes science education for all by promoting science, technology, engineering and innovation (STEI) to transform the economy, this is still far from being achieved in secondary schools in the Nakivale refugee settlement. The research conducted a qualitative research design that included focus group discussions, semi-structured interviews and observation techniques. The results show that science education is far from being achieved among the upper class (S.5 and S.6) in Nakivale refugee settlement due to the lack of fully equipped laboratories and libraries. The student-teacher ratio is high, and science teachers are paid less than those in government-supported schools, leading to high teacher turnover and lower concentration. The study recommends that the government of Uganda support the schools, as they are still private schools. Laboratory spaces should be equipped with equipment, chemicals and other compounds to facilitate teaching and learning, and libraries should be well-stocked with scientific books to promote learning.

This study examined Kwara State secondary school science teachers’ perception of ICT for instruction based on their area of specialization. Participants were 630 science teachers of Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics from both public and private senior secondary schools in 12 Local Government Areas in Kwara State. The data collected through questionnaires tagged Science Teachers Information and Communication Technology Perception Questionnaire (STICOTEPQ) were analysed using frequency count, mean, chi-square and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) statistics. Findings revealed that (i) the science teachers’ perception of ICT was generally positively low and (ii) there was significant difference in the secondary school science teachers’ perception of ICT for instruction based on their area of specialization{F(3,252) = 50.323, p<0.05}with the Biology teachers having the highest level of perception while the Mathematics teachers had the lowest perception. The implication of this study was that should the secondary school science teachers remain at this level of perception of ICT for instruction, the probability that ICT will be used for classroom instruction in Kwara State is very low. It was therefore recommended that ICT should be fully integrated into science teacher education at the Colleges of Education and the Universities and that Kwara State Government should formulate a programme of ICT training and retraining of teachers currently in service as a way of improving their perception of the use of ICT for instruction.

The present study was conducted to investigate teachers’ use of classroom motivationalstrategies during their teaching to secondary school science classes. Motivationalstrategies are always helpful for the teachers in the classroom to achieve their goals. Themain objective of the study was to determine the motivational classroom strategies usedby secondary school science teachers during their science lessons. The study was limitedto collect data from secondary school science teachers who were teaching to grade 9thand 10th science students. The study was descriptive and a questionnaire comprising 25closed ended statements was developed on 5 point Likert type scale to collect the datafrom 256 secondary school science teachers teaching science subjects in secondaryschools of two districts of Multan division; Multan and district Vehari. The results ofpresent study showed that teacher motivation is related to teachers’ use of motivatingstrategies, which in turn are related to student motivation. It was also noticed thatEnglish medium school teachers use these strategies more frequently as compared toUrdu medium schools teachers. Gender wise analysis also revealed that male teachersare more frequent and enthusiastic to use motivational strategies in their scienceclassroom as compared to female science teachers.

Analogies are useful tools for teaching difficult scientific concepts and clearing up learners’ misconceptions. However, if not properly used, they can lead to further misconceptions. More importantly, little is known about how science teachers use analogies in Nigerian classrooms. This study assessed science teachers’ use of analogies by identifying their common practices in secondary school classrooms in Ilorin, Nigeria. The sample comprised 80 science teachers obtained across 34 secondary schools using the convenience sampling technique. A researcher-designed questionnaire was used for gathering data. Frequency, percentages, and mean were used to describe the responses, while Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to test the null hypothesis at a 5% level of significance. The findings revealed that the science teachers were intentional with their use of analogies – they plan an analogy before use and explain its limitation, but mostly use analogies in the body of their lessons. There was no significant difference between science teachers’ use of analogy based on their teaching experience. The study concluded that analogy use is not considered a science teacher’s primary instructional strategy, but rather one that can be used to supplement the conventional methods of teaching. It was recommended that secondary school science teachers consider using more analogies in the introductory and concluding stage of their lessons.

The present study is an attempt to explore the influence of Emotional Intelligence (E.I.) on Teacher Effectiveness (T.E.) of science teachers of secondary schools of East Khasi Hills District in Meghalaya (N = 352). Emotional Intelligence inventory and Teacher Effectiveness scale were used to collect the data. Mean, Standard Deviation, t-test, and correlation were used for data analysis. The findings of the study revealed that there is a significant difference in Emotional Intelligence between male and female science teachers and female science teachers are slightly higher in Emotional Intelligence than their male counterparts. Further, there is no significant difference in Emotional Intelligence among the science teachers with respect to locale, community, qualification and teaching experience. There is no significant difference in Teacher Effectiveness among the science teachers with respect to gender, locale, community, qualification and teaching experience. The findings of the study revealed a relationship between Emotional Intelligence and Teacher effectiveness and between TE and the dimensions of EI. Although the correlation is neglible, EI influences TE to some extent.

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of school facilities on learners’ academic performance in science subjects in secondary schools in Rutsiro district, Rwanda. The following objectives guided the study: The study aimed to investigate the impact of physical facilities and physical instructional materials on students' academic performance in science subjects in Rutsiro district secondary schools. Furthermore, it aimed to investigate the influence of electronic instructional materials on the academic performance of science students in Rutsiro district secondary schools. Environmentalist Bandura's theory of learning, also known as the social cognitive learning theory (SCLT), guided the research. Based on the descriptive research design and mixed-methods approach, the study was conducted in five selected secondary schools in the Rutsiro District. The study's target population consisted of 460 respondents: five head teachers, five directors of studies, 150 teachers, and 300 students. The study involved 214 participants, including 2 head teachers, 2 directors of studies, 70 teachers, and 140 students. Systematic sampling was used to select the five schools, purposive sampling to select the student sample size, and the census sampling technique to select the head teachers and directors of studies. Data was collected using structured questionnaires, interview guides, and documentary reviews. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, mean, and standard deviation) and inferential statistics. The study found a significant correlation between the availability of school facilities and academic performance. There were positive and significant correlations between academic performance and school facilities in Rutsiro District, Rwanda, and measures of the availability of school facilities were as follows: physical facilities (r = 0.814, p<0.01), electronic and technology facilities (r = 0.826, p<0.1), and physical instructional materials (r = 0.949, p<0.01). The findings from regression analysis revealed that physical facilities have a positive and significant effect on learners’s academic performance in science subjects in Rutsiro district secondary schools (β = 0.814, P value <0.05), The findings from regression analysis revealed that physical instructional materials have a negative and significant effect on learners’s academic performance in science subjects in Rutsiro district secondary schools (β = -0.417, P value <0.05), The findings from regression analysis revealed that electronic instructional materials have a positive and significant effect on learners’s academic performance in science subjects in Rutsiro district secondary schools (β = 0.308, P value <0.05). Teachers, district education officials, and head teachers all agree that school facilities influence academic performance in science subjects positively. Specifically, physical facilities motivate learners and enhance their performance. It was observed that students taught in classrooms equipped with school facilities outperformed those without access. Consequently, the study recommends that science teachers utilize available school facilities for instruction and adapt when materials are unavailable.

The need to instill and engender efficiency and effectiveness in the implementation of curriculum for Business subjects calls for the utilization of e-learning technologies in instructional delivery. This study aimed to determine the extent of availability and utilization of e-Learning technologies for teaching of business subjects in the senior secondary schools in Anambra State. It specifically examined the extent of availability of e-Learning technologies; and assessed the extent utilization of various e-Learning technologies (hardware, software, and internet) by teachers of business subjects in the senior secondary schools in Anambra State. Four research question posed in line with the specific objectives guided the study; and has four corresponding hypotheses for mean differences. The study adopted a descriptive survey design to study a population of the 1260 out of which 164 samples were taken from the business subject teachers in Anambra State. The instrument for data collection is the Extent of E-learning Technologies Availability and Utilization Questionnaire (ETAUQ) structured in a Likert type format. The instrument was validated and have reliability of 0.9266 established using Cronbach Alpha. Data was analyzed using mean and standard deviation for the research questions and t-test for the hypotheses. The results showed that e-learning technologies availability at the secondary schools in Anambra State are considered to be at a moderate extent; e-learning hardware and software technologies were utilised at moderate extent; while the internet technologies was considered to be utilised at a low extent for teaching business subjects in the secondary schools in Anambra State. The hypotheses testing revealed that location (rural or urban) and gender (male and female) has no significant difference in the mean ratings of business subjects teachers on the extent of availability of e-Learning technologies for utilization; and the extent of utilization of e-Learning hardware technologies. However, teaching experience (above 10 years’ experience and below 10 years’ experience) in secondary schools in Anambra State differ significantly in their mean ratings on the extent of utilization of e-Learning software technologies in teaching. More is, business teachers with high qualification makes more effective utilization of the internet technologies than the low qualified business subject teachers in Anambra State. Among the recommendations were that curriculum planners should develop the curriculum that should include the use of e-learning technologies by secondary school teachers; and that secondary school administrators should sponsor the re-training of business subject teachers on the utilization of e-learning technologies in education so as to enhance their teaching skills.

This research study delves into the realm of science education, specifically focusing on the knowledge and utilization of instructional strategies by science teachers. The primary objective is to investigate whether there are discernible gender-based differences in science teachers' awareness, understanding, and implementation of various instructional strategies, encompassing lecture-based methods, demonstration techniques, problem-solving approaches, questioning and inquiry-based strategies, as well as cooperative learning strategies within the classroom. The study employs a quantitative methodology, utilizing multiple-choice questionnaire (MCQs) to gather data from a diverse sample of 826 secondary school science teachers and analyze the gender-based level of secondary school science teachers’ knowledge about instructional strategies using Microsoft Excel and Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS-24). This study uncovers that gender-based differences exist not only in the level of awareness and understanding of instructional strategies but also in their practical implementation. The outcomes of this study hold significance for both educational theory and practice. By identifying gender-related trends in science teachers' instructional strategy awareness and application, science teachers, administrators, and policymakers can gain insights into areas that might necessitate targeted professional development or intervention.

Many Liberian teachers have limited experiences and low efficacy for teaching science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), which results in students receiving little preparation and having low levels of motivation to pursue STEM careers in Liberia. Teacher attitudes are central for efficient teaching STEM. However, little is known about the attitudes of teachers towards STEM education, as well as what factors influence these attitudes among Liberian teachers. This paper describes a novel study on Liberian science teachers’ attitudes, and it seeks to elucidate and comprehend the current attitudes toward STEM education among science teachers and identify the factors that might influence these attitudes. A questionnaire was developed to examine attitudes towards STEM education among 194 in-service science teachers and was reinforced by interviews with 10 science teachers. A significant difference was observed between private- and public-school science teachers with respect to their overall attitude scores. A marginally significant difference was found among teachers from different grades. Findings from regression analysis showed that professional and administrative support, peer collaboration, STEM training, and teaching time positively influence science teachers’ attitudes towards STEM education. Recommendations regarding how to support these teachers were also provided based on the analysis of interview data.