Child-centred Approach to Teaching Science:

The study was on infant teachers conceptions of the child-centred approach and strategies they adopt to implement it. A descriptive survey was conducted to investigate the problem. Instruments used to source information from the teachers were a questionnaire, a structured interview schedule as well as an analysis of documents and lesson observation schedule. Stratified random sampling was used to come up with a sample of 30 teachers in five primary schools within a 25 kilometre radius of Masvingo Town. The major findings of the study were that large classes; lack of sufficient resources and teaching media; discipline due to insufficient teaching media coupled with large classes; insufficient knowledge of the approach by teachers and lack of a conducive environment hinder the implementation of the child-centred approach. The recommendations drawn are: the need for regular staff development workshops; teachers should be provided with enough teaching and learning resources; a system should be developed and operationalised where samples of media improvised by the teachers are forwarded to Audio Visual Services for mass production so that all schools in the country benefit from the

Autorentext

Rose Mugweni is a specialist Early Childhood Development (ECD) lecturer at Great Zimbabwe University. She holds a Masters Degree in Early Childhood Education (ECE) from the University of New Castle (Australia). Her research interests are in ECD issues, Education Policy studies and Gender issues.

Klappentext

The study was on infant teachers' conceptions of the child-centred approach and strategies they adopt to implement it. A descriptive survey was conducted to investigate the problem. Instruments used to source information from the teachers were a questionnaire, a structured interview schedule as well as an analysis of documents and lesson observation schedule. Stratified random sampling was used to come up with a sample of 30 teachers in five primary schools within a 25 kilometre radius of Masvingo Town. The major findings of the study were that large classes; lack of sufficient resources and teaching media; discipline due to insufficient teaching media coupled with large classes; insufficient knowledge of the approach by teachers and lack of a conducive environment hinder the implementation of the child-centred approach. The recommendations drawn are: the need for regular staff development workshops; teachers should be provided with enough teaching and learning resources; a system should be developed and operationalised where samples of media improvised by the teachers are forwarded to Audio Visual Services for mass production so that all schools in the country benefit from the