The state of teaching and learning rates of chemical reactions of chemistry teachers in the Sukhothai Educational Service Area, office 2 (Thai)

Abstract

The objective of this research was to study the state of teaching and learning chemistry based on the perceptions of chemistry teachers. The subjects, 15 chemistry teachers from fifteen secondary schools in the Sukhothai Educational Service Area, Office 2, were selected using purposive sampling. The instrument used was the Chemistry Teachers' Perception about The State of Teaching and Learning Rates of Chemical Reactions. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The questionnaires were sent out in the first semester of the 2007 academic year. All teachers responded and returned the questionnaire. The results were as follows: most teachers spent between two to ten hours per week planning their lessons, used documents published by the Institute for the Promotion of Teaching Science and Technology (IPST) to plan the lessons, taught mainly by using the lecture method, asked questions to reveal students' prior knowledge and to establish links to new topics, used concept maps and encouraged student discussion. Teachers used tests, the students' behavior, and students' production to assess students' learning and to improve teachers' teaching practices. Teachers were faced with many problems including designing lesson plans which were suitable for students' different ability levels, a lack of instructional materials, and ways to teach abstract topics.