A study of the attitudes and values of the primary science teachers in Nairobi: Kenya

Abstract

This study was based on primary science teachers' attitudes towards science in relation to importance of science at primary level, science teaching facilities, primary science instruction, children’s' interest in science as viewed by the teachers, general working conditions for science teachers and teachers' own interest in science.

The researcher hoped to find out how the above teachers attitudes varied from one schedule school to another and to provide information that might be of aid in the redesign of the science curriculum and in-service training programs for primary science courses.

The items of the study consisted of 57 statements related to the above-mentioned aspects of primary science programme. The teachers were expected to comment on each statement on a scale ranging from strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, strongly disagree as found appropriate. The analysis of the date consisted of finding the percentage responses for each item as displayed in tables 1 to 6 on pages 17 to 22.

From the findings the researcher found out that teachers have positive attitudes towards the importance of science at primary level, that science teaching facilities inadequate in primary schools, that children are interested in learning science, that science teachers feel that they work under difficult conditions than other teachers and that science teachers are interested in teaching science.

The researcher recommends further research on the following studies: - (1) to investigate the status of the attitudes of science teachers in training colleges (2) to investigate the instructional means and practices by which positive attitudes towards science could be developed.