Relationship between chemistry teachers’ nature of science epistemological views and the nature of inquiry-based instruction implemented in their classrooms in Uganda

Abstract

The purpose of this study was explore the relationship between Chemistry teachers’ nature of science (NOS) epistemological views and the nature of inquiry-based instruction (IBI) implemented in their classrooms. The main objective of the study was to establish the extent to which Chemistry teachers’ NOS views relate to the nature of IBI they implement in their classrooms.The researcher used a purposive sampling procedure to identify two schools of similar standards from which he selected eight willing chemistry teachers (four from each school) to participate in the study. He collected qualitative data through semi-structured interviews, classroom observation, and documentary analysis. He analyzed these data by grounded theory using an interactive, open coding approach. It was established that the chemistry teachers with informed NOS epistemological views implemented guided and open inquiry whereas those with naïve NOS epistemological views implemented more structured. IBI/ Pre-IBI in their chemistry lessons. This implies that, Chemistry teachers’ NOS epistemological views are related to the nature of IBI they implement. Hence, there is need for: 1) teacher educators to improve the NOS understanding of pre-service and in-service science teachers; and 2) .more studies to establish the influence of the NOS epistemological views of teachers in other disciplines on the nature of IBI they implement.

Keywords:

Science teacher education, nature of science, Inquiry-based instruction