Secondary School Teachers' Ways of Contextualizing Science Teaching and Learning

• In Event: Fairmont Roundtable Session Fourteen
  In Roundtable Session: Learning Environments for STEM Education (Table 1)

Abstract

Learning contexts are supposed to help students in particularizing their learning and using their everyday life as learning resources. This, however, depends on how the learning environments are designed for students. In this paper, we examined science teachers’ understanding of learning contexts and their ways of contextualizing their teaching. We collected data from 141 secondary school teachers and conducted open coding with constant comparison. Results indicate that teachers display static views of learning contexts where students have limited choice in shaping or changing learning contexts. We suggested ways of affording more agency for students in order to consider learning as active contextualization with the purpose of relating science learning with everyday life of students as well as addressing community problems.

Authors

• Engida Hailye Gebre, Simon Fraser University
  Presenting Author

• Dawit Asrat Getahun, Bahir Dar University
  Presenting Author

• Getahun Tadesse, Bahir Dar University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Henos Ejigu, Bahir Dar University
  Non-Presenting Author