ABSTRACT
This narrative inquiry study aimed to identify the challenges faced by junior high school science teachers in the mother school and barangay schools and their coping mechanisms, providing bases for the development of an intervention program. The findings revealed that junior high school science teachers in the mother school encountered difficulties in teaching science, including learners’ disinterest and lack of motivation, students who are non-readers and non-numerates, negative student perceptions of science. In contrast, junior high school science teachers in barangay schools faced challenges such as limited resources, varied levels of prior knowledge among students, students who are non-readers and non-numerates. To overcome these challenges, junior high school science teachers in the mother school employed strategies, namely differentiated instruction, formative assessment, and collaborative expertise. Meanwhile, junior high school science teachers in barangay schools utilized collaborative expertise, differentiated instruction, and interactive learning activities. Based on the study's findings, an intervention program was developed to support junior high school science teachers in addressing these challenges.
Keywords: Chronicles in Teaching Science, Junior High School Teacher
INTRODUCTION
The world today is fast-changing, and numerous inventions and body of knowledge can be attributed to science and technology.
Science has made several breakthroughs and contributions to the world. It has enabled human beings to develop various advancements that help them cope with the changing times. Science, any system of knowledge that is concerned with the physical world and its phenomena and that entails unbiased observations and systematic experimentation. Science involves a pursuit of knowledge covering general truths or the operations of fundamental laws (Britannica, 2024). With this, applying science to education is crucial. Educational institutions are tasked to deliver science education effectively, considering various factors such as effective and well-trained science teachers, state-of-the art and adequate teaching materials and equipment, and interactive science lessons.
Teaching science emphasizes the development of the problem-solving skills of students through student-centered instructions. This means that teachers are the primary conveyor of knowledge in science education. They are responsible for making sure that students absorb the learning being taught. The teacher does this through lectures, demonstrations and lab works. In this manner, students become responsible on their own learning through self-directed learning (Ali, 2019). However, despite the efforts of educational institutions to improve science teaching quality, teachers especially in rural and remote areas face innumerable challenges and difficulties that hinder them to effectively teach the subject.
Teachers in remote areas, often faced challenges with regard to delivering quality instructions because of so many factors such as inadequate tools and equipment, insufficient access to technology for simulation and visualizations.
Another challenge as stated by Ramiriz(2021)is the overwhelming workloads and tasks with limited resources and equipment such as laboratories. In addition, Baraquia (2022) as cited in Hayes et al.,(2019) stated that teachers often have to handle enormous class size, challenging classrooms, and take on non-teaching jobs.
Aside from these challenges, teachers are confronted with difficulties in preparing global learners for a successful career in the global scale. Learners have difficulties in mastering content knowledge which recognizes the importance of having teachers who can provide students with the fundamental skills necessary for global competitiveness and functional literacy in science (Santos, 2021).
These challenges and difficulties may have contributed to the Philippines falling behind in science education. The result of PISA and TIMSS shows poor performance of the learners and in general poor quality of Philippine Education. According to Palines (2021), the Philippines needs to enhance science education since its average scientific literacy score is 357, which is much lower than the OECD average of 489 points.
Given the challenges and difficulties, teachers in the rural areas cannot fully perform actual science teaching which aims to develop students’ academically and socially (Naparan, 2023). Despite the challenges in the education system, there is a call for teachers to continue facilitating effective learning to the learners.
This study sought to identify the difficulties encountered by the junior high school teachers and enumerate their management schemes both in mother school and barangay school.
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