Professional Development Needs to Improve Teaching Science in Secondary Schools: Case Study of Mbeya, Tanzania

Abstract

Aim: This study examined pedagogy and subject content needs for Professional Development (PD) to improve teachers’ skills in teaching science in secondary schools in Mbeya, Tanzania. Study Design: The study employed a quantitative research approach and cross-sectional survey design. Methodology: The main instrument used for the study was questionnaire. In this study, schools were randomly selected, and 256 respondents, science teachers were selected through stratified sampling technique. The data collected were analyzed quantitatively. Results: Science teachers need Professional Development (PD) in Pedagogical Knowledge (PK), masterly of science subject contents and technological skills of modern teaching. There was no significant difference in the mean scores for components of pedagogy knowledge between teachers who teach math subject and those who teach physics, chemistry and biology at  using independent samples t-test. Teachers need of PD in subject content in topics were as follows: accounts (61.7%), genetics (46.2%), electromagnetism (44.2%), electronics (40.4%), circles and the Earth as a sphere (29.6%), statistics and probability (28.4%), inorganic chemistry (25%), and ionic theory and electrolysis (24.1%). Conclusion: Science and mathematics teachers in Secondary schools need PD intervention in the subject content of science subjects.