Investigating Tutors’ Understanding of the Characteristics of Science and Influence on Instructional Roles’ Performance. A Case of Five Primary Teacher Training Colleges in Northern Uganda

Inhaltsangabe oder Einleitung

This study proposed to assess the levels of understanding of the characteristics of science (COS) held by tutors in five selected PTTCs in northern Uganda. It also investigated tutors’ educational qualifications and students’ pass percentages at Kyambogo University final (year two) grade three science certificate examinations, 2017 and 2018 results. The study focused on levels of understanding of COS held by tutors, tutors’ educational qualifications and students’ science performance. A quantitative designed study which analyzed data using descriptive statistics was done.

Teaching and learning in science education has been one of the common areas of focus in educational research across many countries in the world. First of all, this is because greater numbers of students in many levels of education do not perform well in sciences and secondly, a greater percent for world development requirements are met through various science works. In response as other countries, Uganda government instituted and implemented a number of interventions such as establishing Directorate of Education Standards, increasing all scientists’ employees’ salaries, revision of entry requirements into teacher education, to mention a few.

The pass percentages in science education for northern Uganda primary teacher training college students have remained low for many years despite several efforts made towards the need for improvement. It has been cited that effective science teaching which improves students’ learning requires graduate science tutors’ adequate levels of understanding of the characteristics of science. COS are different ways by which science can be correctly explained or described, for instance, science is inferential, science is biased, science knowledge is tentative.