TEACHING COMPETENCY OF SCIENCE TEACHERS IN RELATION TO THEIR TECHNO-PEDAGOGICAL SKILLS AT SECONDARY LEVEL

Abstract

Science is viewed as a body of knowledge as well as a process of acquiring and refining knowledge. The ‘search for truth’ becomes the dominant motive and a hall-mark in the structure of ‘science’. Facts alone find a place in the body of scientific information. Science is a dynamic, expanding body of knowledge covering ever new domains of experience.  The laws of science are never viewed as fixed eternal truths. Even the most established and universal laws of science are always regarded as provisional, subject to modification in the light of new observations, experiments and analysis.  Science plays an important role in the development of qualities of a person's head and heart, enabling him to become a useful and productive member of society. By practicing the scientific process, a person is trained in scientific methods and develops qualities of honesty, curiosity, creativity, objectivity and scientific attitude. Science creates an inherent curiosity to unfold all mysteries of man and nature.  The science teachers working in secondary schools should develop necessary competencies and skills in teaching science, integrating technology in the content as well as pedagogical aspects.  The present study is an attempt to examine the teaching competency of science teachers in relation to their techno-pedagogical skills in secondary schools. The researchers used a well-developed questionnaire as the tool for collection of data from a sample of 80 School Assistants in Science working in 80 selected secondary schools located in the rural as well as urban areas in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh using Stratified Random Sampling method.  The data were analyzed using differential and inferential statistics. The findings of the study revealed that the demographic variables – Gender and Teaching Experience have no influence on the perceptions of teachers towards their competency in science teaching in relation to techno-pedagogical skills.  However, ‘Location of the school’ has a significant positive influence on their competency in teaching science in relation to techno-pedagogical skills, with urban teachers perceiving higher as compared to their rural counterparts.  The study suggested that science teachers in secondary schools should be given in-service training to integrate technology in teaching science.