Bulgarian Journal of Science and Education Policy (Dec 2018)
Secondary School Science Teachers' Conceptions, Perceptions, and Practices of the Inquiry-Based Teaching Method
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine teachers' conceptions, perceptions, and practices of the inquiry based teaching method (IBTM) in science classrooms in secondary schools of the South West Shewa Zone of Ethiopia. In order to meet the objectives of this study, a descriptive survey design was employed. Thus, 116 teachers, ten principals, and four supervisors were selected using availability sampling as well as 347 students were selected using stratified cluster sampling. Questionnaires and interviews were used for collecting data. A classroom observation structured checklist was used to supplement the data. The data obtained through the questionnaires were analyzed using frequency, percentages mean, and standard deviation. The information obtained through open-ended questionnaires and the interview was qualitatively analyzed to support the quantitative data. The findings revealed that the majority of teachers had awareness on IBTM, they believed that IBTM was useful for students learning but they did not use it in their classroom. The major challenges identified were lack of a conducive learning environment, students' interest toward the inquiry based method; large class size, teachers' work load, lack of teaching materials, and lack of teachers' experience in using inquiry based teaching method.
