Teachers' and Educational Administrators' Conceptions of Inquiry: Do They Promote or Constrain Inquiry-Based Science Teaching in Junior High Schools?

Autor/inn/en	Mohammed, Salifu Maigari; Amponsah, Kwaku Darko
Titel	Teachers' and Educational Administrators' Conceptions of Inquiry: Do They Promote or Constrain Inquiry-Based Science Teaching in Junior High Schools?
Quelle	In: Journal of Curriculum and Teaching, 10 (2021) 3, S.58-71 (14 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1927-2677
Schlagwörter	Junior High School Teachers; Science Teachers; Principals; Supervisors; Coordinators; Educational Administration; Active Learning; Inquiry; Science Instruction; Misconceptions; Concept Formation; Barriers; Correlation; Foreign Countries; Ghana + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Science; Teacher; Teachers; Science teacher; Wissenschaft; Lehrer; Lehrerin; Lehrende; Principal; Schulleiter; Koordinator; Bildungsverwaltung; Schuladministration; Schulverwaltung; Aktives Lernen; Teaching of science; Science education; Natural sciences Lessons; Naturwissenschaftlicher Unterricht; Missverständnis; Concept learning; Begriffsbildung; Korrelation; Ausland
Abstract	This study sought to examine whether teachers' and educational administrators' conceptions of inquiry promote or constrain inquiry-based science teaching in junior high schools. The study also explored any connections between participants' conceptions of scientific inquiry, inquiry teaching, and inquiry learning. Multiple-case study involving semi-structured interviews was used to collect data from 18 integrated science teachers and 23 educational administrators from rural and urban areas in the Central Region of Ghana. Analysis of the qualitative data involved open coding and categorisation of participants' responses. We found that all the teachers and educational administrators held either uninformed or partially informed conceptions of scientific inquiry and inquiry teaching and learning which, constrain inquiry-based science instruction in junior high schools. We also found that participants' conceptions of scientific inquiry reflected in their conceptions of science teaching and learning. Again, we found that the uninformed conceptions of inquiry developed from participants' lack of exposure and experiences with inquiry-based science instruction when they were students. We recommend regular explicit-reflective in-service trainings to promote teachers' and educational administrators' conceptions and teachers' practice of inquiry-based science teaching. We also recommend reforms in preservice science education that emphasise the engagement of prospective teachers in collaborative explicit-reflective inquiry investigations and instructional practices. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Sciedu Press. 1120 Finch Avenue West Suite 701-309, Toronto, ON., M3J 3H7, Canada. Tel: 416-479-0028; Fax: 416-642-8548; e-mail: jct@sciedupress.com; Web site: http://www.sciedupress.com/journal/index.php/jct
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01