Abstract
The main objective of this study was to investigate the higher secondary biology instruction in Pakistan in light of constructivism. The present study is concerned with, the examination of higher secondary biology instruction, taking into account constructivism as a learning theory, that can be largely examined without considering broader philosophical or the epistemological standpoint of constructivism. Two hundred biology teachers, and one thousand biology students, from one hundred higher secondary schools/colleges were randomly selected out of five districts of Punjab. A questionnaire was developed and used for the collection of data from both kind of respondents (i.e., higher secondary biology teachers, and the higher secondary biology students). The questionnaire was primarily structured to keep the study within the predefined boundaries. Analysis and interpretation was done after data collection. Findings of the study were that constructive understanding occurs in the brains of learners, and teachers can assist their students in enabling more valid understanding to be constructed. Evidence from the present study showed that those teachers who were aware of this, was minimal. Teachers tended to lecture/use telling as an instruction method and were purveyors of knowledge to be memorized and recalled later. Though teachers do use different teaching strategies in addition, but this was minimal. There was little evidence of the teacher acting as a facilitator, guide or mentor to enhance learning, although teachers and students both seem to say that higher secondary teachers take care of students‟ previous knowledge, and use that prior knowledge to update their current learning. It is found that higher secondary biology students are more positive to consider that their teachers do help them in carrying out different learning tasks. It is also found from the response of students and teachers, that teachers offer support to them and give feedback when and where required, but to a lesser extent.
Rafia Zareen, Muhammad Munir Kayani, Anisa Kayani. (2014) Higher Secondary Biology Instruction in Pakistan in Constructivist Perspectives, Bulletin of Education & Research, Volume 36, Issue 2.
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