SCIENCE TEACHING WITH
ENLIGHTENMENT:
IN SEARCH OF BEST PRACTICES
THROUGH T-S PERCEPTION ON
T-L OF PHYSICS
KHALIJAH MOHD SALLEH
SITI HENDON BINTI SHEIKH ABDULLAH
School of Applied Physics, Department of Science and
Technology,
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia,
43600 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
Study Profile



second stage study on best teaching
practices
to determine characteristics of best
practices in the teaching of science
particularly physics among
Malaysian teachers and students.
focus on best practices related to
• Problems of physics TL
• Communication style and
• Teaching approaches
Characterisation Method of best practices




Literature survey
Instrument development
Survey for teachers and
students
Data TS perception on
• the problems of TL physics
• best teaching practices



communication styles and
teaching approaches
Analysis of data
Best Practices take note of




Metacognition
Preconception
Groupdynamics
Peergroup support
Conceptual framework of holistic approach
to best practices in teaching-learning
1. S-problems
2. T-pedagogical
& content
knowledge
Holistic
Approach to
Best
Practices in
TeachingLearning
Teaching
Learning (TL)
Model of Light
Rational


Once the gap between best teaching
practices and teachers’ and students’
preferences identified
To develop a teaching guide to assist
teachers to address their physics
teaching problems
Hypotheses


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H1:Teachers and students have the same
perception of problems of teaching physics,
communication style and teaching
approaches.
H2:Years of teaching experiences are
independent of teachers’ problems in physics
teaching, preferred communication style and
teaching approaches.
H3:Students’ academic achievement is
independent of students’ problems of learning
physics, preferred communication style and
teaching approaches
TL MODEL
teacher
PROBLEMS
Content knowledge
Pedagogical knowledge
content
FB
Comm
TA
Resources
materials
Performance
Cognitive: info
management
Preconceptions
Psycho-emotion
PROBLEMS
student
Questions with 5 scale Likert answer



The problems that I usually face when
teaching/learning physics
The communication style that I usually
use/like best
The best teaching approach for my
students
Study design
Variables
T- Physics
teaching
experiences
Levels
1-5 y
6-10 y
11-20 y
> 20 y
S- achievement
G
M
W
TL
Prob
Number of items
Comm T App
style
Total
7
7
10
24
7
7
10
24
Analysis of data
• Compare and contrast teachers’ and
students’ perception on problems,
communication styles & teaching
approaches
• Teaching practices vs teaching
experiences
• Teaching practices vs students’ ability
to learn physics.
Problems with physics teaching /learning
4.5
4.0
3.5
3.0
2.5
s
bu
ll a
sy
2.0
o
to
h
uc
m
ff
su
in
s
tu
ra
ew
pa
m
ap
ho
b
o
la
td
no
do
ud
ed
st
at
iv
ot
tm
n
no
io
st
ud
st
ue
tq
n'
n
io
do
at
ud
ul
lc
st
ca
h
n
uc
io
m
at
o
ic
to
pl
ap
Student
t
ep
nc
co
Teacher
Preferred communication style
5.0
4.5
4.0
3.5
3.0
Student
2.0
e
ur
ct
le
n
ti o
ra
st
on
m
de
ia
ed
M
of
e
us
T
IC
of
e
us lin g
l
te l ife
y
or al
s t re
to
te
la
s
re
er
w
rsk
aon
&w
sup
rno
tgio
es
qu
Teacher
2.5
Preferred teaching approaches
4.5
4.0
3.5
3.0
2.5
Teacher
2.0
Student
Lecture
Demonstration
Lab classes
Group w ork
Project Work
Use of ICT
Teachers problem in physics teaching
4.5
4.0
3.5
Teaching experience
tu
ra
pp
ta
ci
en
ci
er
ffi
ex
su
o
in
td
n'
do
d
te
ud
st
iva t
ot ues
tm q
no sk
u a
st on't
d
ud
ul
st
lc
ca
h t
uc ep
m c
o on
to c
y
h
pl
uc
ap
m
o
to
to
s
bu
ll a
sy
above 20 years
2.0
1-5 years
3.0
6-10 years
2.5
11-20 years
Teachers preferred communication styles
5.0
4.5
4.0
3.5
Teaching Experience
3.0
1-5 years
2.5
6-10 years
2.0
ia
ed
m
e g
us l lin
te l ife
l
y
or a
s t o re
t
te
la
re
k
or
w
p
ou
ns
gr
a
s
t & on
es ati
qu str
on
m
de
es
ur
ct
le
1.5
11-20 years
above 20 years
Teacher preferred teaching approaches
4.5
4.0
k
or
w
p rk
ou wo
gr t
ec
oj
T
pr
IC
of
e
us y
og
al ion
an l at
u
m stei ocnt
si
aas l
cslctry
t
bnn
laaore
ec
epm D l
nds
C
tra & L ct
le
p
m al k
co & t
k
al
ch
above 20 years
2.0
1-5 years
3.0
Teaching Experience
3.5
6-10 years
2.5
11-20 years
Problems in learning physics
4.5
4.0
3.5
3.0
Academic achievement
2.5
good
t
en
ci
ff i
su
k
in
or
p
ew
ap
m
b
ho
la
o
td
no
ns
do
ido
stet
vea
qtiu
ko
n
io
at sm
at
nto
ul
no
lc
do
ca n
h
io
uc
at
m pli c
o
to
ap
t
h
ep
uc
nc
m
co
o
to
s
bu
ll a
sy
w eak
1.5
average
2.0
Student' preferred communication style
4.5
4.0
3.5
es
ur
ct
le
ia
ed
m
of
e
g
us
l lin e
te l l if
y
or ea
s t to r
te
la
re
k
or
w er
p w
ou ns
gr a
t&
n
es
ti o
qu
ra
st
on
m
de
w eak
2.0
Academic achievement
3.0
good
2.5
average
Students' preferred teaching approaches
4.2
4.0
3.8
3.6
good
3.2
average
3.0
&
m
co
k
al
ch
e
us
lk
ta
Tgy
Co
aIl ion
an at
ul
n
m
si sstniocy
ara
cslt re
bn a
aosp
D
mlan
LC
detr
&
e
p
us
k
or
w
p rk
ou wo
gr ct
e
oj
pr
w eak
2.8
Academic achievement
3.4
Findings
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Teachers’ responses indicate they
believed their practices to be their best
Teachers’ and the students’
perspectives of best practices differ
Successful learning is stimulation
dependent
Teaching experiences and learning
ability affect nature of TS interaction
Successful learning requires cognitive
ability to manage information
Discussion

Results show that
• there are similarities and differences
between TS perspectives regarding

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problems,
communication style and teaching approaches.
To ensure satisfying performance
among students
• Teachers’ best practices should meet
students’ needs for optimum teaching
and learning in a physics classroom.
• communication style and teaching
approach need to match students’ ability
Experiences and ability matters
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Most experienced teachers have
secured a certain practice from years
of teaching
Some might contribute to search for
best practices
Most new teachers have problems
identifying the best practices
New teachers are willing to accept
group work or project work as
effective teaching approach, practices
preferred by the weaker students.
Good vs weak students
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Different learning problems and
preferences for teaching practices,
Teaching practices cannot be the same
for all good or weak students.
Best practices to include ability &
flexibility to adapt teaching practices to
meet the needs of subject matter and
students.
Issue: same weightage for teachers’
vs students’ opinions ?
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No
T - not just the delivery of content
TL involves information transmission,
acceptance and structuring
TL involves teacher-student interaction
T – S interaction dynamics is subjected to
principles of human relations &
interactions
TL communication styles & approaches
influence learning
TL practices cannot be the same for all
students
For optimum TL

Educators recognize that
• Effective TL does not depend only on
teachers’ mastery and ability to
deliver the content
• Effective TL depends on
communication style and teaching
approaches
Conclusion
The result of the study shows
 For different T experiences and L abilities
 There exist different
• problems
• preferences for communication style
• teaching approaches

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‘best practices’ differ for different needs and
abilities
Develop guidelines of practices for teachers
To teach all students of different abilities
acknowledegement
FASAS and Akademi Sains Malaysia
• financial assistance
• study and trip to Singapore