Viewpoint: Exploring Educational Quality and Relevance through Integrating Environmental and Social Issues in Science Education

Abstract

In this research, the researcher and participating teachers endeavoured to explore ways of contextualising chemistry education in relation to local environmental and social issues in two high schools in Mozambique. The research took place in two secondary schools, one in Beline and the other in Maputo. In this study, only the results of the Maputo school are reported on in detail, although the same process was followed in both schools. After undertaking a literature review, and initiating focus-group discussions on the contextualisation of chemistry teaching, and before dealing with the programme contents, a pretest took place in two Grade 9 classes, one in each school. Subsequently, the programme contents were taught in both classes. However, the new contextualised concept of learning and teaching was applied only to one of them. A post-test was held for both streams following the teaching of the programme. The analysis of the pretest findings showed no significant difference between the two classes, whereas the analysis of the post-test findings indicated a significant difference between the two. In the class where the new concept of contextualising the learning within learners’ everyday lives was applied, it was found that learners participated actively in the chemistry lessons. This contrasted strongly with the class where conventional methodology was used.