Teachers’ Conceptions of Teaching Physical Science in the Medium of English: A Case Study

The views and experiences of Grade 10 Life Scinces teachers on the compulsory practical examination

“…To facilitate learning, LS teachers use the learners' mother tongue and English as a vehicle for learners to access scientific knowledge. This finding corresponds with that of Mokiwa and Msila (2013) and Kurwa's (2016) studies on the teaching of Physical Sciences, which reveal that understanding in science is achievable through other languages other than English and that the level of science learnt is dependant on the teachers' ability to bridge the gap between the medium of instruction and the learners home language.…”

“…A further challenge in South Africa is that the language of instruction is mainly English, which is not the home language of many learners. Studies by Mokiwa and Msila (2013) as well as Kurwa (2016) demonstrate that understanding in science is achievable through languages other than English. These studies point to the relationship between teachers' content knowledge, their ability to bridge the gap between the language of instruction and the learners' home language in order to make science concepts and learning more accessible to learners.…”

Inquiry-Based Teaching in Physical Science: Teachers’ Instructional Practices and Conceptions

“…Ones' conceptions are influenced by factors such as the cultural and educational environment, technical expertise and staff development opportunities. This argument is supported by Mokiwa and Msila's (2013) study which explored English Second Language (ESL) science teachers' conceptions on teaching strategies. They found that conceptions of ESL teachers were highly influenced by the educational institutions they attended and the perceived teachers' role in the learning of science.…”

Exploring a Grade 11 Teacher’s Conceptions of the Nature of Science

“…This argument is supported by Mokiwa and Msila's (2013) study which explored English Second Language (ESL) science teachers' conceptions on teaching strategies. They found that conceptions of ESL teachers were highly influenced by the educational institutions they attended and the perceived teachers' role in the learning of science.…”