Exploring Teacher Pedagogical Practices That Help Learners Make Connections During the Teaching of Reactions in Aqueous Solutions at Senior Secondary Level

Abstract

Evidence from the literature supports the idea that a hierarchical and coherently organised curriculum fosters meaningful learning. We argue that the learning can only be realised if teaching complements the curricular coherence by allowing learners to make links during the teaching and learning process. The study reported in this paper explores the extent to which selected teachers’ pedagogical practices support this coherence in their teaching of the electrolytic cell. Two teachers were observed teaching Reactions in Aqueous Solutions at senior secondary level. The classroom discussions were transcribed and analysed using the Pedagogical Link-Making tool by Scott, Aguair and Mortimer. The tool has three aspects; pedagogical link-making for continuity, pedagogical link-making for knowledge building; and pedagogical link-making for emotional engagement. In this case pedagogical link-making to promote continuity was used to analyse the data to establish coherence and progression in concept coverage. According to Scott and colleagues, an important part of teaching science is to support learners in making their own links between concepts within the lesson, across lessons and across grades. This is link-making for continuity. The teachers were interviewed after teaching in order to clarify some of the pedagogical practices observed during the lesson. There was little evidence of teachers helping learners to make the connections between concepts and thus make sense of the content themselves. Furthermore, even in classrooms with learner involvement, there was hardly any link-making by learners. We discuss the implications of these findings for teaching and learning as well as for teacher education.

Keywords:

• Continuity
• link-making
• conceptual understanding
• coherence

ORCID

Brighton Mudadigwa http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5366-6207