The status of junior high school integrated science teaching and learning in Kadjebi District

Abstract

The study investigated the status of teaching and learning of Integrated Science in selected urban and rural Junior High Schools (JHSs) in the Kadjebi District in the Oti region of Ghana. A qualitative approach was employed. Stratified random sampling was employed to select 12 teachers and 120 pupils in urban and rural JHSs from the District. The instruments used to collect data are questionnaire and observation.The study was a descriptive survey. The study revealed that there were inadequate instructional materials as well as academic and professional qualifications of the integrated science teachers.It was also found that practical activities were not organised in some selected JHSs as most of the pupils found integrated science difficult. It was also found that the time allocated for teaching both practical and theory was not enough. The study concluded that if these challenges were addressed, teaching and learning of Integrated Science would be improved in rural JHSs. It was recommended that Integrated Science teachers should be trained to improvise instructional materials using materials in the environment to teach the subject. This would help pupils to conceptualize scientific concepts as they interact with the materials. Again,the school administration together with the GES should help integrate ICT technology into teaching and learning of integrated science as an alternate means of teaching science. It was also revealed that in-service training should be organised frequently for science teachers to help enhance the teaching and learing of integrated scince.