Factors That Hinder Teachers’ Use of Constructivism in Teaching and Learning of Science at Junior High School in Ghana

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to find out the factors hinder the teachers’ use of constructivism in teaching and learning of science in their classroom and extent to which the methodology topics in science for Colleges of Education in Ghana equip basic teachers with the constructivist’s pedagogy so that a strong background for the promotion of constructivist-based teacher training courses could be considered. A descriptive survey design was employed for this study. The sample size for the study was 200 JHS science teachers from Kumasi Metropolis in the Ashanti Region. The main instrument used for the collection of data in this study was the close-ended questionnaire. The study revealed that factors that hinder the teachers’ use of constructivism in teaching and learning of science in their classroom include large class size, inadequate supply of teaching and learning materials, the nature and structure of national examinations and truancy.  The concept of constructivism is less popular if not missing in the curriculum of the Colleges of Education in Ghana. Again, the methodology course as indicated in the results does not adequately discuss the constructivists` epistemology well enough to make prospective teachers well informed about the concept. It was recommended that pre-service teacher education programs should focus more on helping prospective teachers to have an in-depth knowledge about the constructivist pedagogy so that a strong background for the promotion of the constructivist-based teaching courses could be considered.

Keywords: Constructivism, methodology, prospective teachers