Instructional Materials in Science Education: Secondary School Teachers’ Perceptions

Abstract

This study investigates the perceptions of secondary school teachers about the rationale of instructional materials in science education. For teaching and learning to become fruitful, adequate well-designed instructional materials emerges as crucial factor. In this context, teaching practices require teachers to demonstrate the ability to enrich and innovate teaching activities. The sample size encompasses sixty-four science teachers in secondary schools from Muhanga district in Rwanda. The purposive sampling technique was used to select the sample population. The study is descriptive in nature and adopts a descriptive research design, and used online google form to collect data from participants. Data gathering was accomplished with the help of an online google form, and was dispatched to participants using communication platforms specifically WhatsApp. The google form contained nine items in line with research objectives. The findings revealed that 70% of respondents perceived instructional materials as extremely valuable while a very positive influence was revealed by 86% of respondents. The findings of the current study encourage secondary school science teachers to exploit the benefits of using instructional materials during classroom practices.