Necessary Pedagogical Skills for Teaching General Science to Elementary Classes in an Evolving Educational Context
Dr. Shahinshah Babar Khan
Abstract
Generally, in Pakistan, teacher’s performance is measured in terms of students’ achievements in internal and external examinations. Maximum marks is the centre of attention for teachers while around the world, the actual classroom situation has been changed due to different push and pull factors in teaching learning process and these factors are also affecting the Pakistani classrooms. Curriculum of teacher training programs is considered a vibrant force that train the teachers to decorate new generation with skills necessary for survival in the changing context of 21st century. There is a perception that a mismatch exists between the curriculum of teacher training programs and the actual classroom situations. To meet the needs of evolving context, teacher training programs are needed such a curriculum that fabricate reflective practioners. The objective of the study was to find the opinion of in service teachers about the curriculum of general science in teacher training program B. Ed with focus on pedagogical skills. The sample for the study was 45 in-service teachers teaching general science to elementary classes. A questionnaire was developed to explore the opinion of the teachers of general science about the potential of curriculum of teaching of general science in B. Ed with focus on pedagogical skills. Statistical test ANOVA was used to calculate the difference among the teachers of class VI, VII and VIII about learning of pedagogical skills for teaching of science in teacher training program (B. Ed) for teaching science to the elementary classes. It is found that student-teachers are trained to apply different pedagogical skills for teaching science to produce students who have conceptual understanding in the evolving context.