SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS IN BASIC SCHOOLS IN GHANA

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SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS IN BASIC SCHOOLS IN GHANA

• Prof. J. Anamuah-Mensah
• EDUIT Consortium
• Prof. A. Asabere-Ameyaw
• Vice chancellor, UEW

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The Power of the TeacherThe assumption that
teachers are not powerful is one of the biggest
fallacies of our society. As a group they have a
power which is second to none It is they, the
teachers now at work and going through Training
College who are shaping what the country will
become, much more than we who pass laws, make
rules, and make speeches!(Julius Nyerere)
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Context of SME for Basic Education

• Farmers are still using traditional methods of
  farming
• Scientific and mathematical literacy among the
  youth is low
• SME has no influence on majority of people
• Low pass rate in SME at BECE SSSCE/WASSCE
• Enrolment of people with poor grades in SME in
  TTCs
• Enrolment in science-based prog. at SHS declined
  from 30.6 in 2000 to 26.6 in 2005
• Enrolment in science prog. in universities is
  only 35.

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Guiding Philosophy of Education

• ..create well-balanced (intellectually,
  spiritually, emotionally, physically) individuals
  with the requisite knowledge, skills, values and
  aptitudes for self-actualisation and for the
  socio-economic and political transformation of
  the nation

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Purpose of Basic Science and Mathematics Education

• Exciting pupils in things around them
• Develop inquiry, problem solving and creative
  skills
• Provides foundation for development of human
  resources for the nation
• Provides capabilities in engineering, science
  research and innovation
• Produce scientifically literate citizens

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Weaknesses in SME in basic schools
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Weakness

• Persistence of pupils misconceptions
• Poor performance on CRT and PMT
• JICA Baseline Study
• TIMSS study

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Mathematics - JICA data

• Pupils found word problems difficult due to weak
  conceptual understanding and poor English
  language
• In upper primary, weaknesses in ratio, fractions,
  percentages, division, shapes and decimals
• At JSS/JHS, areas of weakness include operation
  of fractions, proportion, geometry, and
  measurement.

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Science - JICA data

• Science and mathematics are bedfellows,a good
  knowledge in maths is needed in science.
• Weakness in carrying out simple mathematical
  procedures embedded in science tasks, eg.,
  conversion of centimeters to meters
• Difficulties in recording observations
  diagrammatically, graphically or pictorially or
  answer questions in relation to their
  observations

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Trends in international Mathematics and science
Studies(TIMSS)-Science

• The overall performance of the Ghanaian students
  on the science test was very low- the overall
  mean score of 255 placed the nation at 45th
  position(International average474)
• The mean percentage correct on all test science
  test items for each participating Ghanaian
  student was 19.
• There was a very large variation in science
  abilities among the students with some scoring as
  low as 52 and others scoring as high as 450.
• Pupils weakest content area was in physics
• Students performed well at the factual
  knowledge level instead of the conceptual
  understanding and reasoning and analysis
  levels

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TIMSS- Mathematics

• Ghanas overall performance in mathematics was
  poor, placing it in the 45th position- the
  overall score of 276 was far below the
  international mean of 467
• The mean percentage correct on all mathematics
  test items for each participating Ghanaian
  student was 15
• Their weakest content areas were in Algebra,
  Measurement and Geometry
• There was a large variation in mathematical
  abilities among the students with some scoring as
  low as 130 and others scoring as high as 430
• Performance was more at facts and procedures
  level instead of using concepts, solving
  routine problems and reasoning levels

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TIMSS- some students teachers characteristics
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Curricular issues - TIMSS

• No provision made in the curricula for teaching
  children with different abilities
• Students were taught by teachers who were not
  specialists in maths or science
• Teaching was dominated by demonstration and
  lecture
• Students spent considerable time on homework but
  the nature of home work did not seem to improve
  their achievement

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Issues in pre-service teacher preparation
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What pre-service training has equipped you with.

• Pedagogical content knowledge
• Curriculum knowledge
• Subject content knowledge
• Knowledge of learners and their characteristics

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Science and Mathematics curriculum
Intended Curriculum
Implemented Curriculum
Attained Curriculum
What society will Like to be taught
What is actually taught
What is learnt
goals experiences etc.
interaction of teacher, learner and curricular
materials
extent of achievement of implemented curriculum
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Factors influencing science and mathematics
education
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Weaknesses in TE preparation

• Low emphasis given to subject matter content
  during pre-service
• Disconnection between theory and practical
  application
• Teaching of science and mathematics at the
  primary level is conducted in English which is
  not the mother tongue but a foreign medium of
  instruction

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A model of factors involved in science and
Mathematics teaching and learning

S M content
Community SM
Community SM
Pupils Performance in S M
Method
pupil
SM Teacher
School resources for SM
Community SM
Community SM
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Conclusion

• Place emphasis on practical and innovative SM
  teaching,particularly, development of scientific
  skills such observation, recording and
  interpretation of data - drawing, labeling,
  graphing
• Improvisation of simple expts.
• Teach science and maths in the context of
  everyday life in order to bring out their
  application.
• Being conversant with new syllabuses

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Science and mathematics subjects in Basic schools
Primary 1-3
Primary 4-6
JHS 1-3
Natural science
Integrated science
Integrated science
Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics
ICT
ICT
ICT
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• The challenge of changing teachers attitudes and
  practices
• Changing perceptions of what constitute good
  science at the basic level
• Teaching according to the grain of the brain

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WHAT IS LEARNING?
Learning is not a spectator sport. Students do
not learn much just by sitting in class listening
to teachers, memorizing prepackaged assignments,
and spitting out answers. They must talk about
what they are learning, write about it, relate it
to past experiences, apply it to their daily
lives. They must make what they learn part of
themselves.
Arthur W. Chikering Zelda F. Gamson, Seven
Principles of Good Practice AAHE Bulletin 39
3-7, March 1987
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BEING INNOVATIVE AND CREATIVE IS THE HALLMARK OF
A SCIENCE AND MATHEM ATICS TEACHER
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THANK YOU