The use of science process skills by Grade 11 physical science learners: a case study of two high schools in Gauteng Province, South Africa

[摘要] In South Africa, the new Curriculum Statement and Policy Statement (CAPS) Grades 10-12 for Physical Sciences emphasizes learners’ use of science process skills. The aim of thisstudy was to evaluate the extent of the use of science process skills by Grade 11 Physical Sciencelearners. It also sought to explore some of the factors associated with poor utilization of SPS byGrade 11 Physical Science learners. The participants were Grade 11 Physical Science learners(n=50) and teachers (n=4) from two schools in the Johannesburg area of the Gauteng Province,South Africa. Quantitative and qualitative data used to evaluate Grade 11 Physical Sciencelearners’ use of science process skills was obtained through use of: a learner Likertquestionnaire; teacher and learners’ interviews; and analysis of classroom lesson observations.Quantitative data was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Qualitative datawas analyzed using a combination of content and interpretive analysis. It was found that for bothschools basic science process skills were relatively more frequently utilized compared tointegrated skills; with the lower fee paying school showing a poorer utilization of both types ofskills. The most utilized basic science process skills were found to be communication,observation, identification, classification, comparison, description and calculation. It was foundthat the following integrated process skills are poorly utilized by the Grade 11 Physical Scienceleaners- prediction, constructing hypothesis, relationship between variables, constructingdiagrams, and experimentation. Some of the factors found to hamper utilization of scienceprocess skills were identified as teacher incompetency, lack of learner interest, poor availabilityof curriculum resources, and poor teaching practices and learning strategies. It wasrecommended that the South African CAPS curriculum needs to be revised to put greateremphasis on teaching and assessment of science process skill utilization. Furthermore, it wassuggested that teachers need to be professional developed to enhance their capabilities ofteaching science process skill utilization. Implications for further studies were fleshed out anddiscussed.

[发布机构] University of the Witwatersrand