Factors affecting implementation of practical activities in science education in some selected secondary and preparatory schools of afar region

Abstract

The study aimed at assessing factors affecting implementation of practical activities in science education in some selected secondary and preparatory schools of Afar Region. Practical activity is at the heart of mastery of science discipline and it is believed that if there is no practice either individually or in a group, all what have been learnt become inert knowledge. The implementation process of practices in science education is limited in Ethiopian schools and students in Ethiopia generally perform poorly in science subjects at secondary schools. Academically less prepared students of secondary schools prefer humanities and social sciences than science and technology in higher education. The majority of students in schools of the study area join social science. Therefore assessing factors affecting implementation of practical activities in science education in study area is important to identify root cause and forward the way for the improvement. Of the total 404 respondents from all schools, 68.81% responded as teachers do not use practical activities in teaching science and (78.71%) of them respond as they do less than 5% of the practical activities on their text books. Absence of separate and well equipped laboratory for each science, absence of efforts made by science teacher to use local material for practice of basic activities and less attention of local government and school administrative to existing problem results in less student motivation to practical activity which have influence on student’s preference to science education in the study area. Therefore attention should be given by all concerned bodies and stakeholders to solve the problem and encourage students to science practical activities to join science classes of future science and technology graduate.