Teacher Beliefs and Attitudes about Inquiry-Based Learning in a Rural School District in South Africa

Autor/inn/en	Ramnarain, Umesh; Hlatshwayo, Manzini
Titel	Teacher Beliefs and Attitudes about Inquiry-Based Learning in a Rural School District in South Africa
Quelle	In: South African Journal of Education, 38 (2018) 1, Artikel 1431 (10 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Ramnarain, Umesh) ORCID (Hlatshwayo, Manzini)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0256-0100
Schlagwörter	Beliefs; Teacher Attitudes; Active Learning; Inquiry; Rural Schools; School Districts; Foreign Countries; Mixed Methods Research; Physical Sciences; Science Teachers; Science Instruction; Scientific Concepts; Questionnaires; Grade 10; Secondary School Teachers; Secondary School Science; Interviews; South Africa + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Belief; Glaube; Lehrerverhalten; Aktives Lernen; Rural area; Rural areas; School; Schools; Ländlicher Raum; Schule; Schulen; School district; Schulbezirk; Ausland; Natural sciences; Naturwissenschaften; Naturwissenschaft; Science; Teacher; Teachers; Science teacher; Wissenschaft; Lehrer; Lehrerin; Lehrende; Teaching of science; Science education; Natural sciences Lessons; Naturwissenschaftlicher Unterricht; Fragebogen; Interviewing; Interviewtechnik; Südafrika; Süd-Afrika; Republik Südafrika; Südafrikanische Republik
Abstract	Despite growing consensus regarding the value of inquiry-based teaching and learning, the implementation of such a pedagogical practice continues to be a challenge for many South African teachers, especially at rural schools. The research reported in this article concerns the interaction between Grade 10 Physical Sciences teachers' beliefs about inquiry-based learning, and their practice of inquiry in their classrooms. This research adopted a mixed methods design. In the first phase of the research, quantitative data were collected by distributing a validated questionnaire to Physical Sciences teachers in an education circuit in rural Mpumalanga, South Africa. The next phase of the research involving teacher interviews, provided a more in-depth explanation of some of the findings, which emerged from the questionnaire survey. It was found that sampled teachers from the rural district have a positive attitude towards inquiry in the teaching and learning of Physical Sciences, and recognise the benefits of inquiry, such as addressing learner motivation and supporting learners in the understanding of abstract science concepts. However, despite this positive belief towards inquiry-based learning, teachers are less inclined to enact inquiry-based learning in their lessons. Teachers claim that the implementation of inquiry-based learning is fraught with difficulty, such as availability of laboratory facilities, teaching materials, time to complete the curriculum, and large classes, which creates tension in their willingness to implement it. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Education Association of South Africa. University of Pretoria, Centre for the Study of Resilience, Level 3, Groenkloof Student Centre, Department of Educational Psychology, Faculty of Education, George Storrar Road and Lleyds Street, Pretoria 0001, South Africa. Web site: http://www.sajournalofeducation.co.za/index.php/saje/index
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01