AVALABILITY OF QUALIFIED PHYSICS TEACHER AND THE EFFECTS IT HAS ON PERFORMANCE OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS (EDUCATION PROJECT TOPICS AND MATERIALS)
CHAPTER ONE
- INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
The mastery of a subject is determined by the performance of the students in such a subject at a prescribed examination. Any interactive activity between a teacher and the students is expected to produce learning outcomes in the learners. When such an activity failed to produce a change in behavior (learning) in the learners, then, there is a problem. The performance of students in science generally is a major concern to science educators. Aghyeneku in Sakiyo and Sofeme (2008) noted that students’ performance in science subjects is low in both national and state examinations. A number of reasons can be identified to be accountable for the poor performance of students in sciences. These include the science curricula, teachers’ methods of teaching, parents, government, lack of science facilities and others (Ahiakwo, 2003). Survey from schools (Ajayi, 2007) revealed that inadequacy of good instructional materials, equipment and laboratory facilities in the schools also affect negatively the effective learning of Physics in the schools. One of the purposes of education is to develop the competencies within a learner and to enhance his/her knowledge, as well as to equip him/her with the skills that he/she could use while tackling challenges beyond the classroom setting. Central to the acquisition of knowledge and skills is the teacher who actively engages the learners, as critical co-investigators, in the teaching and learning processes (Gultig, Haodley& Jansen, 2002:56). Thus, a more democratic relationship is cultivated between the teacher and the learners. The knowledge and skills acquired by the learners are embedded in the subjects that they specialize in as they progress with their education. Some of these subjects are perceived as ‘sacred’ or vulnerable strategic subjects (Murphy &Whitelegg, 2006:282) since, as the learners progress with their learning, their numbers gradually decline, resulting in the pyramid pattern enrolments (Government of Swaziland, 2011:6).
The natural sciences fall within the subjects that experience a decline in the number of learners who pursue them at tertiary level. In the researcher’s view, it is essential that educationists ascertain the reasons behind the decline in the number of learners who specialize in the sciences, in particular, at tertiary level, since this affects the availability of science specialists, for example, specialist Physics teachers.
The shortage of specialist Physics teachers is one of the nagging issues for governments and educationists alike globally (Rundquist, 2009:1; Boutelle, 2010:1; Mathews, 2011:1; Woolhouse& Cochrane, 2010:607; the Government of Swaziland, 2011:25). In Swaziland this shortage was echoed by the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) (Government of Swaziland, 2011:25); Ministry of Education, 2004:43) In the same vein, the science panel members raised their concern in respect of issues emanating from the teaching and learning of Physics, and from examination reports on the performance of learners in the subject. The science panel members noted that learners performed poorly in Physics, and they attributed this tothe shortage of specialist Physics teachers. Therefore, the panel sanctioned research that would investigate the causes of the shortage of specialist Physics teachers. The impetus of sanctioning research like this one was that, among the natural sciences, Physics had been the hardest hit, since it was taught by teachers who had not specialized in Physics (e.g. Agriculture, Chemistry and Biology specialists). Apparently, the employment of specialist non-Physics teachers was partly due to non-efficacious initiatives targeted at addressing the persistent shortage of Science and physics teachers in senior secondary schools.
