Transforming Science Teaching: A School-Based Case Study in Rural Community Science Education

Thesis Abstract

This study investigates the transformation of science teaching within a rural primary and secondary school cluster, addressing the persistent gaps between policy ideals and classroom practice that contribute to low inquiry engagement and limited student achievement in science subjects. The aim is to evaluate how a school-based reform program—centering on inquiry-based pedagogy, teacher professional development, and community-driven science outreach—affects instructional practices, student conceptual understanding, and engagement in science learning. Specific objectives are to (1) document current teaching practices and teacher beliefs about science inquiry; (2) design and implement a professional development intervention anchored in constructivist and sociocultural theories; (3) examine changes in instructional strategies through classroom observations and lesson plan analyses; (4) assess shifts in student achievement on standardized science assessments and conceptual understanding via pre-post tests; (5) explore students’ attitudes toward science and perceived relevance through qualitative interviews; and (6) identify enablers and barriers to sustaining transformative teaching in rural contexts. The methodological approach is a mixed-methods embedded design, conducted over two academic years in a rural district comprising six partnered schools with a total student population of approximately 2,400 and a teacher cohort of 58 science educators. A stratified random sample of 18 teachers (representing junior secondary and senior secondary levels) will participate in the intervention, with 360 students selected for quantitative assessments (180 in the pre-test and 180 in the post-test), and a purposive sub-sample of 40 students and 12 teachers engaged in in-depth interviews and focus groups. Data collection instruments include standardized science achievement tests aligned to national curricula, concept inventories for core topics (e.g., ecosystems, forces and motion, genetics), classroom observation protocols (to capture inquiry-oriented instructional moves), lesson plan analyses, and semi-structured interview guides. Instrument validity and reliability will be established through pilot testing, expert review, and calculation of Cronbach’s alpha (target >0.80) for survey scales. Data analysis will employ a combination of descriptive statistics, paired-sample t-tests and ANOVA to detect pre-post differences in achievement and attitudes, multiple regression to examine predictors of student outcomes, and thematic analysis for qualitative data, guided by Braun and Clarke’s framework. A sequential explanatory design will integrate quantitative and qualitative findings to explain observed patterns. Key expected findings include (a) a measurable increase in student conceptual understanding and science achievement post-intervention, particularly on inquiry-based tasks and applied problem-solving items; (b) higher levels of teacher use of inquiry-oriented instructional strategies, evidenced in lesson plans and classroom observations; (c) positive shifts in student attitudes toward science and perceived relevance to everyday life; and (d) the identification of contextual enablers such as collaborative professional learning communities, access to laboratory resources, and community science partnerships, alongside barriers including time constraints, large class sizes, and limited parental engagement. The study contributes to knowledge by providing empirical evidence on the effectiveness of a school-based reform model that integrates inquiry-based pedagogy with professional development and community involvement in a rural setting, thereby extending the applicability of constructivist and sociocultural theories to school-based transformation in resource-constrained environments. It advances a contextualized framework for sustainable science teaching reform that can inform policy-makers, district curricula planners, and school leaders about scalable practices and the mechanisms through which rural teachers can enact meaningful change despite structural challenges. The main conclusion is that transforming science teaching in rural contexts is feasible and impactful when professional development is sustained, collaborative, and tightly linked to classroom practices and local community resources. The recommendations include scaling the model to similar rural districts with structured follow-up support, investing in school-based laboratories and field-based learning experiences, establishing ongoing professional learning communities, and developing district-supported time allocation for inquiry-based planning and assessment. Limitations include potential generalizability constraints due to the localized setting and the influence of concurrent educational reforms; future research should explore long-term sustainability and comparative studies across diverse rural regions.