Science Education Research Papers/Topics

CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH SCIENCE PRACTICAL LESSONS ORGANIZATION IN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS IN SEKONDI – TAKORADI

ABSTRACT    The teaching and learning of science in the Senior High Schools (SHS) has of late not been very effective since the practical aspect of the subject is seemingly neglected by many teachers. The main objective of this study was to investigate the challenges associated with the organization of science practical lessons in some selected Senior High Schools. The sampled population for the study consisted of 165 students and 50 teachers from five selected Senior High Schools. Th...

GUIDING PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS TO IDENTIFY AND NAME ALIPHATIC ORGANIC COMPOUNDS USING MOLECULAR MODEL KITS: A CASE STUDY

ABSTRACT  This study was conducted in the context of the organic chemistry aspect of the Integrated Science course for the pre-service teachers in St. Teresa’s Colleges of Education, Hohoe in the Volta Region of Ghana. The study examined new ways of guiding students to conceptualise organic chemistry that was developed to promote in-depth understanding of aliphatic organic compounds to students. Applying a case study and action research paradigm, pre-test and post-test questions were ...

CAUSES OF PUPILS‟ POOR PERFORMANCE IN INTEGRATED SCIENCE IN SELECTED JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLS.

ABSTRACT This is an investigative study into the causes of pupils‟ poor performance in Integrated Science in some selected Junior High Schools in the Anomabo Circuit of Mfantsiman Municipality of Ghana. The study took a look at the factors that might exist to hinder the performances of the pupils. The study adopted the descriptive method of qualitative research and data were collected with a set of questionnaire and an interview schedule and data from questionnaire were analysed using freq...

INTEGRATED SCIENCE TEACHERS’ PEDAGOGICAL CONTENT KNOWLEDGE AND ITS PERCEIVED IMPACT ON STUDENTS’ ACHIEVEMENT

ABSTRACT This study was designed to investigate the Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Integrated Science teachers, how it influences their teaching of the subject and its impact on students’ achievement at the Junior High School level. The explanatory sequential mixed method design was used in this study. This is due to the fact that study was of quantitative priority where greater emphasis was placed on the quantitative method while the qualitative method played a secondary role. The resea...

USING COOPERATIVE LEARNING TO ENHANCE PUPILS’ PERFORMANCE IN SCIENCE IN SOME SCHOOLS IN AGORTIME-ZIOPE DISTRICT

ABSTRACT Cooperative learning is the instructional use of small groups of learners so that they work together to maximize their own and each other’s learning. This study investigated the use of cooperative learning to enhance the performance of upper primary pupils in science. A mixed method approach with a quasi-experimental design was used. The access population was upper primary pupils from Kortsrala and Takuve D/A primary schools in the Agortime-Ziope district of the Volta region of Gh...

THE LEARNING STYLES OF BIOLOGY STUDENTS AND THEIR ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE: A CASE STUDY AT WESLEY GRAMMAR SCHOOL, DANSOMAN-ACCRA

ABSTRACT  The purpose of the study was to determine the learning styles of biology students and their influence on students‘ academic performance. The population for the study comprised of all first year Home Economics students. A purposive sampling method was used to select one intact first year (SHS 1) Home Economics class with a class size of 50 as the sample for the study. Four research instruments were used in the data collection process for this study to obtain the scores necess...

ENHANCING STUDENTS’ RETENTION OF CELL DIVISION THROUGH COMPUTER SIMULATIONS IN ADANWOMASE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

ABSTRACT  Integrated science is one of the core subjects offered in the Ghanaian Senior High School. Most of the concepts included in Science are abstract and therefore students find it difficult to understand the concepts.   Cell division is one of the most problematic and difficult concepts that students learn in the Science syllabus. Questions on cell cycle, Mitosis and Meiosis in Cell Division are very popular in the West African Certificate examination.Analysis of the Science paper us...

JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL INTEGRATED SCIENCE TEACHERS’ ASSESSMENT PRACTICES IN THE BIA WEST DISTRICT IN THE WESTERN REGION OF GHANA

ABSTRACT  This study investigated the instructional assessment practices of junior high school integrated science teachers, the pattern, techniques and challenges in Bia West District of the Western region with a view to providing a baseline data on the state of the art of this important aspect of science teaching. A total of 54 science teachers and 250 pupils were drawn from nine circuits consisting of 68 public junior high schools in Bia West District constituted the participants in the st...

THE IMPACT OF CONCEPT MAPPING IN REDUCING COGNITIVE LOAD OF STUDENTS

ABSTRACT    The study was conducted to show the impact concept mapping has as a teaching strategy in an attempt to reduce cognitive load of first year biology students of St. Dominic’s Senior High School. In the study, the students were taught how to construct concept maps on classification of plants. A convenience sampling technique was used to select a sample of sixty (60) in-tact class of form one biology students in the school. An observation was used by the Researcher to collect...

Improving the Performance of S.H.S 2 Biology Students of Adeiso Senior High School in the Teaching of Photosynthesis Through the Use of Activity Method of Teaching

ABSTRACT The study aimed at enhancing the performance of S.H.S 2 Biology students of Adeiso Presbyterian Secondary School at Adeiso in the Eastern Region of Ghana in photosynthesis. During the study two classes were taken, with one class numbering up to 52 students comprising of 36 boys and 16 girls and the other class numbering 47 with 21 boys and 26 girls. The total sample size of the two classes was 99. In the selection of the sample for the research, random sampling was used by the resea...

Perceived Impact of Continuous Professional Development Programme on Physics Teaching at the Colleges of Education in Ghana

ABSTRACT The colleges of education in Ghana have been involved in continuous professional development for over four years with support of Transforming Teacher Education and Learning (T-TEL). The main purpose of this research was to assess the perceived impact of the continuous professional development programme on physics teaching at the colleges of education. The study employed a mixed method design specifically concurrent parallel design. An online survey was conducted which was followed ...

EFFECTS OF CHILD LABOUR ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF GHANAIAN CHILDREN OF FISHER FOLKS

ABSTRACT Reports about the huge number of children involving in fishing and its tremendous impacts should be of grave concern to all. Fishing labour market in Keta municipality is shaping children’s schooling behaviour where some pupils are combining schooling with fishing. This study investigated the effects of fishing activities on school attendance and academic performance of pupils in the area. Data was collected using questionnaires, pupils' attendance register and examination scores....

FEMALE STUDENTS‟ PREFERENCES FOR PHYSICS COURSES AT UNIVERSITY OF CAPE COAST AND SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS

ABSTRACT The main aim of the study was to investigate what accounts for the low proportion of female participation in the study of physics at University Cape Coast (UCC) compared to biology and chemistry. The study also identified practical methods or ways that could be employed to make physics more appealing to female students in order to encourage greater female participation in the subject beyond Senior Secondary School (SSS) level. The target population for the study comprised 208 female ...

USING JIGSAW MODEL TO ENHANCE S.H.S CHEMISTRY STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE IN ORGANIC COMPOUNDS’ CLASSIFICATION AND NOMENCLATURE

ABSTRACT    This study sought to improve Senior High School Chemistry students’ performance and retention in classification and nomenclature of organic chemistry using the jigsaw cooperative model. Quasi experimental pretest, posttest and delayed posttest control group design was adopted by the researcher to carry out the study. The study was conducted in two Senior High Schools offering chemistry (two different classes during 2012-2013 academic years). Total number of ninety four st...

THE IMPACT OF STUDENT TEAM ACHIEVEMENT DIVISION (STAD) TECHNIQUES ON STUDENTS’ LEARNING OUTCOMES IN SOME SELECTED TOPICS IN CHEMISTRY

ABSTRACT This study investigated the effect of STAD as a learning technique on Senior High School students‟ conceptual understanding, their abilities to solve quantitative problems based on their qualitative understanding in some topics in chemistry and their attitude towards STAD. The study involves Forms I and II elective chemistry students of Datus International Senior High School of Community Seven of the Tema District of the Greater Accra Region. Convenience sampling technique was use...


136 - 150 Of 207 Results