An evaluation of teaching and learning of science in english in a rural school in west cost of Sabah

Shirley, Tay Siew Hong (2007) An evaluation of teaching and learning of science in english in a rural school in west cost of Sabah. ["eprint_fieldopt_thesis_type_phd" not defined] thesis, Universiti Malaysia Sabah.

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the implementation process of the teaching and learning of Science in English at the lower secondary level. The study sought to investigate the realities in the implementation process of the new education policy (i. e. Teaching Science in English) in the lower secondary science classrooms in a rural school in Sabah. The thesis focused on two major aspects of teaching and learning Science in English in a rural school in Sabah: (i) The Science instructional methods adopted by the lower secondary school Science teachers (ii) The use of multiple semiotic resources to make meanings in Science lessons. This case study hoped to provide a practical guide for administrators and educators to evaluate science instruction using English in the lower secondary levels in the rural schools context. A qualitative case study approach was adopted to investigate 'the real-life context' which is bounded in terms of the scope of the study, participants, place and time. The participants of this research are five lower secondary school teachers and their students. The data were collected through extensive classroom observations which were carried out for a period of six months in the rural school. Field notes and video recordings were the main sources of data. The data collected were triangulated with data collected through interviews with the Science teachers concerned, English language teachers, students, Head of Science and Mathematics Department and school administrators. In addition, the data were compared to the information obtained through the responses provided by the participants in the questionnaires. Among the techniques used to ensure the validity and reliability of this research are triangulation, members check, prolonged engagement on-site, peer examination, audit trail and clarifying researcher's biases. The findings reveal that the teachers worked hard to use English to teach Science but they were very concerned about their students' ability to understand the content in English. Hence, the use of translation from English to bahasa Melayu and code-switching between both languages were the main strategies adopted in their teaching. The lack of opportunities to observe different teaching techniques is one of the main factors contributing to their teaching strategies. An evaluation report and a feedback session was conducted in the school to allow Science teachers to reflect on their own teaching and to deliberate on the instructional methods adopted by other teachers in teaching Science in English. With the findings, theories of Science learning and second language acquisition, and research findings elsewhere, the study suggested appropriate instructional methods to integrate Science content learning and English language development in a rural school context, thereby extending the knowledge of teaching Science in English generated by researchers from other countries as stated in the research literature.

Item Type: Thesis (["eprint_fieldopt_thesis_type_phd" not defined])
Keyword: Evaluation study, rural school, lower secondary school Science, implementation of science instruction, integration of learning Science and English.
Subjects: ?? LB1603 ??
Department: SCHOOL > School of Education and Social Development
Depositing User: ADMIN ADMIN
Date Deposited: 18 Nov 2010 12:15
Last Modified: 14 Nov 2017 15:08
URI: https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/346

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