Junior high school science teachers’ knowledge and practice of inquiry-based teaching in the Aowin municipality.

Abstract

The study aimed to explore the knowledge and practices of inquiry-based teaching among Junior High School (JHS) Science teachers in the Aowin Municipality. Guided by constructivism learning theory and the theory of inquiry-based teaching knowledge and enactment model, a sequential explanatory mixed-method design was employed, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative data collection. Census was used to include all 78 JHS science teachers in the survey, while ten teachers were purposively sampled for interviews and lesson observations. Structured questionnaires, observation checklists, and semi-structured interviews were used as data collection instruments. The quantitative data underwent analysis using descriptive statistics, including mean, standard deviation, and percentages, while the qualitative data underwent thematic analysis. Key findings were that, JHS science teachers in the Aowin Municipality possessed a moderate knowledge of inquiry-based learning, influenced by factors such as limited training, resource constraints, forgotten information, and lack of awareness. Also, the teachers regularly implemented various inquiry-based instructional but relied on traditional assessment techniques in their science lessons. Lastly, challenges faced by JHS science teachers in Aowin Municipality included insufficient resources, the time constraints, and classroom management difficulties. It was concluded that JHS science teachers in the Aowin Municipality had a good knowledge of the inquiry-based teaching and consistently implemented it in their lessons. To address the challenge of resource constraint, the study recommended that Aowin Municipal Directorate supply adequate instructional resources to enhance the implementation of inquiry-based Science Education by JHS science teachers in the Aowin Municipality.