This research analyzed the state of metacognition in South African Physical Science classrooms, the extent to which South African Physical Science teachers possess metacognitive awareness, and how effective the teachers are in fostering metacognition. Assessment of the current state of metacognition in a sample of Physical Science classes at two…

Research has extensively documented the benefits of inquiry-based science teaching, but less attention has been paid to how novice teachers' personal teaching goals influence their implementation of this approach. This study aimed to explore novice physical sciences teachers' goals to understand how they relate to IBI implementation. This research…

This study investigates the perspectives of physical sciences teachers regarding implementing learning style-based instructional strategies [LSBIS] in science classrooms in South Africa. The aim is to identify the challenges and opportunities associated with integrating these strategies into teaching practices. Research on learning styles and…

The inquiry-based strategy in science education is widely recommended and incorporated in practical work. However, contextual and intrinsic teaching challenges associated with practical investigations (inquiry-based practical work), occur in resource-constrained physical sciences classrooms in South Africa. The intrinsic challenges have previously…

Preservice teachers who are specialising in the teaching of the subject natural science at a primary school level, ought to demonstrate the ability to present lessons that provoke a joyful yet meaningful educational experience amongst learners. One such approach that was taken, was when natural science preservice teachers were tasked with…

Science teaching and learning is facing a new dilemma. It has to move from its old perception of science as a purely positivistic and value-free enterprise into regarding it as what it really is: a value-laden human endeavour characterised by historical, cultural, social and political parameters. Science teachers now have to deal with ethical, and…

The study reported on here was a qualitative interpretative case study. We explored the pedagogical issues of Senior Phase natural sciences teachers when teaching the matter and materials strand in some of the schools in the Siyabuswa circuit. This study was motivated by the concerted focus on the Fourth Industrial Revolution in developing…

Breadth and depth of curriculum are important for success in science teaching and learning. Curriculum theorists recommend less breadth and more depth than overloaded, superficial science curricula. This study investigates breadth and depth in the official biology syllabi in the seventh to eighth or ninth years in four diverse jurisdictions,…

Literature shows that science teachers' development and practice of PCK have always been a concern in science education research. Globally, national policies have begun to underscore the instruction of science teachers as a great concern. This study is considered worthwhile, as it intended to address this gap by exploring a beginner teacher's PCK…

Integrating literacy in science and mathematics learning and teaching has been an ongoing endeavour. There are frameworks developed to guide teachers' practices, but little is reported on assessing literacy simultaneously with scientific or mathematical content knowledge. We reviewed the literature on assessing literacy in science and mathematics…

The importance of the enactment of formative assessment as a pedagogical tool in science teaching and learning cannot be over-emphasized. Teachers encounter pedagogical challenges when enacting formative assessment in science classrooms. These pedagogical challenges underscore the need to explore teachers' perspectives on pedagogical strategies…

Learners who pass the South African National Senior Certificate (NSC) physical sciences examination generally show a weak conceptual understanding of chemistry at university. This inconsistency was investigated by examining strategies used in the teaching of chemical equilibrium in schools. A combination of on-site observations, journaling and…

It is commonly accepted that learners gain better understanding of science concepts when they perform 'hands-on' experiments in the lab. However, the lack of lab infrastructure, particularly in most rural schools, negatively affects the teaching of science. With the increasing potential of ICT to education, virtual laboratories (VL) have emerged…

Our study investigates the challenges encountered by learners and teachers of physical sciences in rural schools, specifically in the Joe Gqabi district of South Africa. We utilised self-study and constructivism theories in rural settings to examine the complex challenges for physical sciences in rural schools. In an interpretivist qualitative…

Inquiry-Based Teaching Practice (IBTP) is an essential component of science education, and promoting its implementation is at the heart of various reform efforts. Even though science teachers regard IBTP as an essential pedagogical method, they rarely use it for various reasons. This study utilizes Bronfenbrenner's ecological framework to examine…