Improvisation, use of analogies and students participation in Secondary School Science lessons in Gulu District

Abstract

This study was to establish the relationship between level of improvisation and use of analogies, and the students‟ participation during class lessons in biology and chemistry in lower secondary in schools in Gulu District. Specifically the study sought to establish the relationship between the teachers‟; attitudes towards improvisation of materials; level of improvisation and students‟ participation in lessons; attitudes towards use of analogies in teaching and; use of analogies and students‟ participation during the lessons. The study used a correlational design involving 570 respondents from twenty schools in Gulu district. Data was collected using questionnaires and interview guides. Data analysis involved the use of Pearson product moment correlation (r), means and standard deviations. The study showed negative correlation between; the teachers‟ attitudes towards use of improvised materials and the level of improvisation; no correlation between the teachers‟ use of analogies and students‟ participation during the lessons in both urban and rural schools considered. However, the study showed strong positive correlation between; the teachers‟ use of improvised materials and students‟ participation and; the teachers‟ attitudes towards and their use of analogies during biology and chemistry lessons in both the urban and rural schools. The results of this study have implications for stakeholders at various levels of the education sector. There is need to give adequate attention to improvisation in order to link the teaching/learning process to the environment. The use of analogies should be encouraged to help clear misconceptions. Teacher perspectives in attitude support the use of improvisation as a teaching tool. More research is necessary to further understand the causes and establish solutions to the lack of significant correlation between the variables as established by this study.