International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) |Volume VI, Issue IX, September 2022|ISSN 2454-6186
Teachers’ Classroom Management Practices: Predictors of Students’ Interest in Physics
Messiah Abeku Morgan1, Godwin Kwame Aboagye, PhD2
1SDA College of Education, Asokore-Koforiua, Department of Science Education, Ghana
2Department of Science Education, Faculty of Science and Technology Education, College of Education Studies, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
Abstract: The literature has consistently lamented a decline in students’ interest in studying physics. However, key among the factors linked to students’ interest in a particular subject is the teacher’s classroom management practices. The purpose of this study was to explore predictors of students’ interest in physics among 10 teacher classroom management practices. The overarching design employed in this study was the cross-sectional survey design. Even though, survey was the main design for this study, elements of correlation were also employed. Questionnaires were used to collect data. The population of this study was made up of Form Three and Two students who offer physics as elective in public senior high schools (SHS) in the Eastern region of Ghana. Simple random sampling technique was used to select 377 students to participate in this study. It was found that, generally, there was a moderate correlation between students’ perceived teacher classroom management practices and their interest in physics (TSIP). Task orientation in physics (TO), cooperation, involvement, and investigation were found to be significant predictors of students’ interest in physics. It is therefore recommended that physics teachers should pay more attention to task orientation, students’ involvement and investigation so as to help develop students’ interest in physics.
Key Words: Classroom management practices, Investigation, Involvement, Students’ interest in physics, Task orientation
I. INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
The literature has consistently lamented a decline in students’ interest in studying physics (Buabeng, Osei-Anto & Ampiah, 2014; Oon & subramaniam, 2013). Studying students’ interest in a subject is important since interest influence subject achievement and career choice and is in turn influenced by the classroom management practices of teachers. Even though Physics topics and concepts form part of the integrated science taught at the foundational levels (Primary and Junior High Schools) of the education system of Ghana as part of the attempt to produce scientifically literate citizenry and also to lay a strong foundation for future courses, programmes and careers in physics (NACCA: MoE, 2019), studies have reported a decline in the level of students’ interest in studying for higher degrees in Physics and its related programmes (Buabeng, et al., 2014; Oon & Subramaniam, 2013).
The seemingly low interest in physics has been attributed to a number of factors. Whereas some researchers seem to blame the situation on the students, others place it