PHYSICAL SCIENCE TEACHER’S PERSPECTIVES OF THE TYPES AND NATURE OF PRACTICAL WORK

This is an empirical qualitative interpretative multiple case study, which was guided by the question; what are the teacher's perspectives of the types and nature of practical work? Document analysis and interviews were used for data collection. The results show firstly, that teachers held faulty perceptions of the nature of practical work. Secondly, the teachers' individual definition of practical work contradicted their own perceptions of the nature of practical work. The faulty perceptions held by teachers influence outcome of the practical work to such an extent that some output only result through chance. Explanations and possibilities for the resultant perceptions are discussed. This paper recommends that science clubs and cluster group collaborations might aid methodological and contextual understandings and practices amongst teachers. Further research opportunities on ways and strategies of conducing practical work within contextual inhibitors are suggested.