Challenges faced by the teachers

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function of a potometer, whether they have understood what transpiration is all about or what is that causing transpiration in plants and how can transpiration be stopped. In all those things I asked through oral questions, through class activities, and through test (Appendix C, I-T2:

67).

Teacher 1 did not mention that she uses the question and answer strategy to help learners understand concepts, although it transpired in her observed lessons. For instance, at the beginning of the lesson, she asked learners to define transpiration (See appendix C, O-T1:

16). In addition, she asked learners to explain how light intensity affects the rate of transpiration (Appendix C, O-T1: 166).

After having looked at how teachers help learners make sense of concepts on the topic on transpiration, the next section presents data on the challenges teachers face.

45 Girls expect boys to draw for them

Regarding girls expecting girls drawing for them, Teacher 1 said the following: “Biological drawing is where mostly I experience gender issues, where girls, they can’t do much in terms of drawing, they always expect their male counterparts to do the drawings for them”.

(Appendix C, I-T1: 108).

Learners cannot spell scientific concepts

Another challenge experienced by Teacher 1 was that learners cannot spell scientific

concepts, which she highlighted follows: “…these learners express themselves, they are more in English, they ignore using Biological concepts, I think maybe Biological are too difficult for them to…acquire them” (Appendix C, I-T1: 137).

Next, I present the challenges identified by Teacher 2.

Language barrier

Teacher 2 indicated language barrier as a challenge he was usually faced with while teaching the topic on transpiration and noted that: “Challenge number one it can be the language barrier…Most of our learners are from rural areas and they have got a problem of English.

And mind you that the language that we use in Biology is not really English, these are scientific words” (Appendix C, I-T2: 81, 84).

Shortage of equipment

Teacher 2 also identified a shortage of equipment as a challenge to presenting transpiration, saying: “Another problem that I normally encountered here is…the availability of materials.

When I am presenting my lessons, I normally do things theory instead of practicals due to lack of material” (Appendix C, I-T2: 89).

Poor relationship between the community and the school

A poor relationship between the community and the school was another challenge that Teacher 2 highlighted. He pointed out that:

The community sometimes does not look at our ideas as if perhaps we are trying to take money or rob, to take money out of their hands, it is not like that… when maybe for example when you send the learners to go and get something and parents were not willing to help…

We… we were supposed to do a certain practical, a practical about…it was about food

46

testing, but then when I sent my learners each one to bring just a type of food from their houses, most of the parents were refusing to give assistance and then this one has forced me to go and buy some items at an open market, eee…because learners did not come with anything because parents have failed me (Appendix C, I-T2: 97,100, 105).

Problems in spelling scientific concepts

Teacher 2 also spoke about spelling ability as a challenge to his learners. He said: “the spelling is a problem to them, aa…most of them are failing to spell words in the right way (Appendix C, I-T2: 134).

Difficulties in drawing diagrams

The teacher echoed that learners have difficulties in drawing graphs and noted that: “Most of all, our learners do not know how to draw, drawing is a problem, aa…esp...they lack

Biological drawing…” (Appendix C, I-T2: 174).

Content is not presented clearly in textbooks

Teacher 2 expressed that the way the content on the topic on transpiration was presented in the Biology Module 1 was not clear, and that activities in textbooks were of poor quality.

About the content, the teacher expressed the following: “…it is somehow clear, aa…therefore if you just give it to learners that, this content is all about or this part is all about

transpiration, learners on their own may not be understanding or may not understand it (Appendix C, I-T2: 213).

About the activities, he said: “some of the books, they have activities, but these activities in the books are of poor quality” (Appendix C, I-T2: 228).

Girls are not active during practical work

Teacher 2 also stated that girls are not quite active during practical work. He voiced the following:

Boys are more active than girls…aa…because even when I am directing them or instructing them to construct their photometers, for example, boys are the first one to finish and the girls finish later. But if you compare these potometers that are made by boys and those that are made by girls, obvious you can, you will be convinced that the potometers that are made by boys are more accurate than those that are made by girls. Therefore now, when girls are

47

comparing their potometers with boys, most of the girls, they feel shy (Appendix C, I-T2:

245).

Both teachers spoke about problems related to language though they differed a bit in their interpretations. For example, Teacher 1 highlighted that learners had difficulties in defining concepts and that they could not spell scientific concepts whereas Teacher 2 highlighted the language barrier and spelling. Teacher commented that learners have difficulties with drawing graphs and biological drawings. Another similarity was in gendered performance differences. Teacher 1 reported that girls expected boys to draw for them and Teacher 2 reported that girls were not active during practical work. The only significant differences between the teachers’ reports of challenges were that only Teacher 2 reported a poor relationship between the community and the school and that the content was not presented clearly in textbooks.

Having presented challenges that teachers face, the next sections summarises of challenges faced by each teacher and how they deal with them.