EXAMINING SECONDARY SCHOOL PHYSICS TEACHERS’ BELIEFS ABOUT TEACHING AND CLASSROOM PRACTICES IN LESOTHO AS A FOUNDATION FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

The classroom practices of science teachers are indicative of their beliefs and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). PCK is an amalgam of knowledge about subject matter, pedagogy, and contextual issues. This article identifies areas where physics teachers in Lesotho may need professional development support by addressing the research question: How do secondary school physics teachers in Lesotho describe the teaching of science and their actual practice? A mixed-methods approach involving a survey and follow-up interviews of secondary school physics teachers was used to collect information about this research question. The results show that there is a disjuncture between the teachers’ pedagogic knowledge and the teachers’ contextual knowledge, indicating that their PCK was not well formed and could serve as a central focus for their professional development.