The Zimbabwean Advanced Level Physics Teachers’ Views on Inquiry-Based Physics Instruction and Level of Actual Classroom Practices

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume III, Issue VIII, August 2019 | ISSN 2454–6186

The Zimbabwean Advanced Level Physics Teachers’ Views on Inquiry-Based Physics Instruction and Level of Actual Classroom Practices

Munikwa Simbarashe¹, Ferreira. J. Gherda^2
1Department of Quality Assurance, Chinhoyi University of Technology, Zimbabwe
²Department of Curriculum and Instruction Studies, University of South Africa, Zimbabwe

Abstract: The study explored how Zimbabwean Advanced Level physics teachers perceive and teach inquiry skills in Advanced Physics classrooms. The study was motivated by misconceptions of physics concepts displayed by learners being enrolled in physics related undergraduate programmes in some of the Zimbabwean universities. The study sought to check on current teachers’ views, experiences and practices with respect to current inquiry instructional practices. The mixed method approach was employed for the study. The data was solicited through a questionnaire, an interview guide, lesson observation guide and a document analysis guide. Random sampling was used to select 140 physics teachers from the 10 Educational provinces and purposive sampling was used to select 30 teachers for the interviews. 20 lessons were observed. Descriptive statistics and emerging themes were used to concretise the data for discussion. The main findings suggest that teachers are aware of inquiry-based science teaching approaches yet depict low level inquiry-based physics practices in the classrooms. The low level inquiry-based physics teacher practices could be attributed to limited teacher competencies, public examinations assessment demands, limited human and material resources and limited time for effective teaching and learning. The study recommends teachers need to be capacitated on inquiry-based learning competencies, school authorities invest in both human and material resources and that aligning public examinations assessment demands to inquiry-based competencies will make teachers adapt accordingly.

Keywords: inquiry; instructional practices; assessment; practical examination; physics curriculum; inquiry-based science

I. INTRODUCTION

Recent curricula reforms in developing countries have called for classroom teachers to embrace more active forms of learning and teaching and shun teacher-dominated forms of lesson delivery, (Bregman, 2008; Kasembe, 2011). This is underpinned by the need to for learners to effective master science concepts and applies them in everyday life. Hence, curriculum innovations are calling upon teachers to facilitate learning, create opportunities for the learner to actively engage in the learning process.

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