Junior high school integrated science teachers’ knowledge and practice of inquiry-based instruction in Tano South Municipality

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate Junior High School (JHS) integrated science teachers‟ knowledge and practice of inquiry-based instruction in Tano South Municipality of Ghana. In this study, convergent mixed method design was employed. The study was conducted in Tano South Municipality in the Ahafo Region of Ghana. The sample for the quantitative study was 75 Junior High School (JHS) integrated science teachers. In the qualitative study, a sub-sample of 8 Junior High School (JHS) integrated science teachers was sampled. The teachers who participated in the study were included through the census method. The researcher used questionnaire and interview guide as the primary tools for collecting data. The questionnaire and interview guide were employed to collect quantitative and qualitative data respectively. The quantitative data was analysed using frequency, percentages, mean and standard deviation whereas the qualitative data was analysed using the cross-case analysis procedure. From the findings, it was revealed that a large number of JHS integrated science teachers do not acknowledge the fact that inquiry-based instruction depicts science as an ongoing process of exploration and discovery rather than a content domain to be memorized. Also, the study findings again revealed that, majority of the teachers do not know that inquiry in science stresses on dialoque, reporting, deliberations as well as debate. Again, the study revealed that a large number of teachers lack the requisite knowledge on how to use the inquiry-based instruction. The study concluded that JHS integrated science teachers although demonstrated some kind of knowledge about inquiry-based instruction but, on average it found out to be low. The study recommends that the Municipal Education Directorate should organize regular in-service training for teachers on the use of inquiry-based approach in teaching.