Student Perceptions of Secondary Science Teachers’ Practices Following Curricular Change

Abstract

Inquiry-based teaching has emerged as a highly valued strategy in science education. In Portugal,the science curriculum has been redesigned in order to promote such teaching. This implies substantial change in teacher practice. It is therefore important to understand students’ perceptions of teacher practice. In this study, we describe student perception of teacher practices and look for associations between the perceptions and student motivation. Three low-achieving, secondary-level science classes were studied. Motivation was measured by two scales (Intrinsic and Extrinsic); Perceptions were measured in four dimensions. Significant associations (p < .05) were observed between intrinsic motivation and (a) Perception of the use of Laboratory Work; (b) Perception of Science-Technology-Society and (c) Perceived Student Autonomy. No association was noted between intrinsic motivation and the Perception of Teacher as Facilitator. Results are generally consistent with previous literature. Teacher professional development lags behind curricular change. Teachers require new conceptions of assessment.