Prioritisation and Nationalisation of Teaching of Sciences in Ugandan Schools: Practitioners and Documentary Perspectives

Abstract

Considerable investment in and prioritisation of teaching of sciences among secondary schools in Uganda have been made. But despite this, performance in sciences remains poor. We sought to understand why this is so, and to this end, the present study explores perceptions regarding reasons surrounding students’ poor performance in sciences. We used an exploratory case study to interview teachers of science, inspectors of schools, and a representative of the Uganda National Examinations Board. Also, documentary analysis was done for a deeper understanding of the study question. Qualitative analysis was employed in the identification of themes and sub-themes. In the findings, what our research suggested is that there is a combination of factors which have resulted in poor science results within schools – the quality of the teaching, the expectations and support of the school and the ability of the pupils themselves, although the quality of teaching seemed to be the major factor. Therefore, this would suggest that the teaching and learning of the sciences in Ugandan schools could benefit from adapting to new ways – teaching the necessary skills, developing the pupils’ scientific interest and skills, and improving facilities within the schools. Further inquiry could be channeled towards understanding apathy in the teaching and learning of sciences, support strategies in resource utilisation, and monitoring of the teaching-learning process.