Practices and Challenges of Teachers in Teaching Science Online

Abstract

Educational disruption brought by this pandemic changed the practices and challenged teachers and students to navigate the new learning landscape. This descriptive research study determined the practices and challenges of science teachers in teaching amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 54 science teachers in Zambales, Philippines responded to the researcher-made Practices and Challenges of Science Teachers Questionnaire (PCSTQ). Results revealed that science teachers use printed module as a learning delivery modality in their classes. They often employ varied science teaching strategies, utilize assessment strategies and incorporate technology integration in teaching during educational disruption. They often encounter challenges in academic workload, laboratory experimentation, and physical infrastructures, while they sometimes face challenges in terms of digital infrastructure, instructional resources, digital competence, and assessment and supervision. There are significant differences in the teachers’ teaching strategies by trainings, and technology integration practices by trainings and modality used. Furthermore, there are significant differences in the challenges in instructional resources, physical infrastructure, digital competence, and academic workload by years in service; challenges in digital competence by zone; and challenges in academic workload by age. Implications of the study to pedagogy, policy, and practice are discussed in the paper. The study also contributes to the dearth of literature in describing the teachers’ practices and challenges in science teaching in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.