Chemistry Instruction: Basis for Proposed Strategic Intervention Materials

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Chemistry ignites student's curiosity and offers opportunities to develop their observation, questioning and reasoning skills whilst increasing their appreciation, knowledge, and understanding of the world around them. Thus, the spiral progression, an approach used in teaching all the subjects in junior high school, has affected the mastery of the learning competencies intended for the learners. This study was conducted to ascertain the status of Chemistry instruction in Bauan Technical High School during the school year 2016-2017.

METHODS

The descriptive method of research was utilized with the aid of the researcher-made questionnaire as the primary tool in gathering data. Two hundred sixty grade ten learners and fifteen secondary science teachers of Bauan Technical High School served as the respondents of the study. Frequency, percentage, ranking, weighted mean and t-test were the statistical tools applied in treating the data gathered.

RESULTS

The findings of the study revealed that the teachers developed the different chemistry competencies among the Grade 7, Grade 8, and Grade 9 learners to a great extent and there was no significant difference between the assessments of two groups of respondents in the development of chemistry competencies among learners. The study also revealed that the strategies used by the teachers in developing chemistry competencies were moderately effective. Further, it was found out that the learners showed a low level of interest in chemistry. Consequently, it is one of the hated subjects in Science, which learners would likely fail completing the necessary requirements, eventually getting low performances in both academic and conceptual reasoning skills.

DISCUSSIONS

The results demonstrate the need for strategic intervention materials in chemistry which contains a variety of features designed to promote mastery of concept and skills in topics within the least attained competencies. These materials meant to change the attitudes towards Chemistry from negative to positive among learners.