Principal Factors Impacting the Effectiveness of Rural Middle School Teachers’ Practices in Inquiry-

International Journal of Modern Education Forum (IJMEF) Volume 3 Issue 4, November 2014 DOI: 10.14355/ijmef.2014.0304.03

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Principal Factors Impacting the Effectiveness of Rural Middle School Teachers’ Practices in Inquiry-learning courses: Investigation and Countermeasures Shangzhi Zou *1, 2, Sha Du 1, 3 1

Faculty of Education, Southwest University, No. 2, Tiansheng Road, Beibei District, Chongqing, P. R. China

2

Curriculum and Teaching Methodology, 3 Subject Pedagogy

*1

zgzsz66@163.com

Abstract This study surveyed a random sample of 178 middle school teachers and 212 middle school students, mainly from Chongqing and Yunnan. The survey results revealed the following principal factors impacting the effectiveness of rural middle school teachers’ practices in inquiry-learning courses: a) they do not actively engage in teaching inquiry-learning courses, and their teaching competence is below the bar; b) some teachers are against the idea of offering inquiry-learning courses; c) topics involve few social hot spots and are rarely selected by students. In order to enhance the teaching effectiveness of rural middle school inquiry-learning courses, several strategies could be applied at the same time, including establishing new teaching philosophies, promoting school-based educational research, improving teachers’ teaching techniques regarding inquiry-learning courses, ensuring that the topics selected are related to what students care about, using the correct teaching methods, as well as establishing a school-level microcosmic mechanism to guarantee that inquiry-learning courses are offered on a regular basis.

Key words Middle School Countermeasures

Teachers;

Inquiry-Learning;

Effectiveness;

Introduction Inquiry-Learning Curriculum is the compulsory course which is adopted by the China's ministry of education into middle school, and which is also the breakthrough of elementary education course reform. To explore the main factors that affect the rural middle school teacher’s inquiry-learning curriculum teaching effect, and analyse the reasons, explore the countermeasures, those have far-reaching significance to improve the teaching quality of inquiry-learning curriculum.

Research Methods The study samples are from rural middle schools in Chongqing, Yunnan and other provinces and cities.

The way to investigate rural middle school teachers and students is by random drawing. There were 250 students questionnaires distributed and a total of 212 of valid samples were collected, the valid response rate is 84.8 %. And there were 200 teacher questionnaires distributed and a total of 178 of valid samples were collected, the valid response rate is 89%.

All data are using SPSS18.0 statistical software for statistical processing, 5 point scoring percentage and trend of statistics.

Main Factors Affecting the Rural Middle School Teachers’ Inquiry-Learning Curriculum Teaching Effect The Rural Middle School Teachers’ Teaching Engagement of Inquiry-Learning Curriculum Is Not High 137 teachers with the inquiry-learning teaching experience give a high evaluation on the students’ inquiry-learning effects and attitude, the average score was 3.79 and 3.79, respectively, and 40.8% of the teachers think that "all the students took an active part in research learning course of learning". But those 137 teachers only accounts for 77.0% of the surveyed teachers, and 41 teachers without the inquiry-learning teaching experience accounts for 23.0% of the surveyed teachers. Obviously, nearly a third of surveyed teachers don’t have the inquiry-learning experience.

The analysis shows that the teachers participate in and those never participate in inquiry-learning curriculum

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International Journal of Modern Education Forum (IJMEF) Volume 3 Issue 4, November 2014

have a big difference on the knowledge and emotional attitudes of inquiry-learning. (See chart 1) Poor Teaching Ability of Rural Middle School Teachers’ In Inquiry-Learning Curriculum Chart 1 shows 178 teachers self assessment on knowledge, emotional attitude, will and guide behavior in inquiry-learning curriculum, and the self evaluation on research ability and students’ learning effects, the full mark is 5 points. From chart 1, we can find out that teachers’ self evaluation mark on knowledge and ability is below 3 points, which is at a failed level. Indirectly, it reflects the poor ability of teachers in inquiry-learning curriculum teaching.

CHART1 TEACHERS INQUIRY-LEARNING QUALITY AND SELF ASSESSMENT

(AVERAGE)

All teachers TE NTE

N(candidates)

knowledge

Emotional attitude

Will

178

2.9

3.8

3.3

137

3.2

4.0

3.5

41

2.6

3.7

3.1

0.000

0.000

0.000

P

Continued From Previous Chart

inquiry-oriented learning course’s teaching effectiveness. From chart 1, we can find that teachers' emotion on inquiry-learning curriculum scored an average of 3.84 points. 38.2% of teachers think that even if some teachers and schools do not support open the inquiry-learning curriculum, they will adhere to the teaching of inquiry-learning curriculum. That means those teachers not only have the awareness and positive attitude on inquiry-learning curriculum, but also have the strong will and faith. However, teachers who do not support open the inquiry-learning curriculum account for 4.5% of the surveyed teachers, somewhere in the middle of teachers accounted for 28.7%.

From the evaluation of the students, 212 students think “teachers support students to participate in the inquiry-learning curriculum”, and the average score is 3.29. 38.2% of surveyed students think the teacher support students to participate in inquiry-learning curriculum, and 15.1% of students think the teacher does not support the students to participate in inquiry-learning curriculum, and nearly half of all students’ (46.7%) attitude toward the teacher whether to support choose neutral.

N(candidates)

Behaviour

Research ability

Students‘ learning effect

All teachers TE

178

3.0

2.9

3.4

137

3.4

3.1

3.6

Interest

Actual life

subject knowledge

NTE

41

2.5

2.6

3.2

0.000

0.001

0.000

84.3

92.7

79.2

P

Students Select Less Social Hot Topic CHART 2 THE CHOICE OF LEARNING CONTENTS(MCQ%)

Continued From Previous Chart

TP: Teacher with inquiry-learning curriculum experience.

NTE: Teacher without inquiry-learning curriculum experience.

Student ability

Social hot spots

Teachers' knowledge and ability

From the 212 surveyed students’ evaluation of teachers' teaching abilities, the results also confirm the questions of the teacher's teaching ability. 19.8% of the students think the teacher's teaching ability is under-performed, 51.4% of the students think teacher's teaching ability is general, only 28.8% of the students think teachers have a very strong ability of guidance, which reflect the teachers’ inquiry-learning curriculum teaching and the students' expectations have a great distance, and the current teaching situation can't meet the needs of students, which require teachers improve the teaching ability in future.

75.8

30.9

53.9

Individual Rural Middle School Teachers Do Not Support Open Inquiry-Learning Curriculum Teachers’ emotional attitude on inquiry-learning curriculum is the dynamic mechanism to improve the

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Chart 2 shows 178 teachers' choice of inquiry-learning curriculum content, reflect the teachers in inquiry-learning teaching can contact the student actual life and the interests of students, and choose the research content through considering the students' existing knowledge. But it has less association with social hot topics, only account for 30.9%, which is likely to make the topic lack of novelty, and repeated study will make the final results of the study with little value. Meanwhile, considering the teacher's own knowledge and ability level is not too much (53.9%), this may make teachers cannot control students' research activities, and dissociate outside the students research activities, which make inquiry-learning can't be taken effectively.

International Journal of Modern Education Forum (IJMEF) Volume 3 Issue 4, November 2014

The Analysis of the Causes of Influence Rural Middle School Teachers’ Inquiry-Learning Curriculum Teaching Effect The curriculum implementation is a process of putting curriculum reform into practice, it is different from adopting a reform (decided to use something new), the focus of the implementation is the extent of the reform and the factors influence on the practice (Jiang Shanye, 1997, 156). The reasons influencing the rural middle school teachers research learning curriculum teaching effect are: The Rural Middle School Teachers' Understanding Ability of Inquiry-Learning Curriculums’ Meaning Needs To Be Improved Teachers' knowledge and ideas are the key factors influencing the smooth implementation of inquiry course. Based on the survey, 25.8% of the surveyed teachers think the inquiry-learning curriculum is not conducive to the cultivation of students' scientific attitude and scientific ethics; 34.8% of the surveyed teachers think the inquiry-learning curriculum is not helpful to cultivate students sense of responsibility and the mission of society; 30.3% of the surveyed teachers disapprove that research learning curriculum is helpful to form the habit of learning from each other; 30.3% of the surveyed teachers think the inquiry learning course can’t increase the students' knowledge; 21.3% of surveyed the teachers disapprove that research learning curriculum is helpful to train the students' ability to handle interpersonal relationships.

The rural middle school teachers' understanding of research learning courses has not yet reached its height. These viewpoints are closely connected with traditional teaching concept and examination system.

Under the constraints of "exam-oriented education", some rural middle school teachers think that inquiry-learning curriculum and the current college entrance examination system have little relation, middle school teachers’ teaching time is very nervous.

If the teachers give of their time to open the inquiry-learning curriculum, perhaps it will influence the students’ marks.

Rural Middle School Teachers Lacked of Scientific Research Experience From the survey, 38.2% of the surveyed rural middle school teachers did not take part in any level of research subject, only 35.4% teachers participated in the school level research subject, and only 26.4% teachers participated in the provincial and city

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research level. Those reflect the surveyed teachers who have not participated in different kinds of research subjects account a high percentage, but those teachers who have participated higher research subjects only occupy a small part. In rural middle school teachers “who have published academic papers”, 39.3% of the teachers had no published academic papers. The teachers who didn’t take part in research, lack of research and independent essay writing experience, which will make teachers lack of mastery of the basic process of scientific research.

Rural Middle School Teachers’ Inquiry-Learning Methods Mastered Bad The correct selection and implementation of research method can guarantee the effectiveness of the inquiry-learning curriculum. This requires teachers to understand research-oriented learning theory and procedural knowledge, to guide students the research methods in inquiry-learning. The famous educator Diesterweg said:” A poor teacher tells you the truth, a good teacher teaches you how to seek the truth (B·A.Sukhomlinskii, 1998, 275).” From chart 4, we can see that the surveyed rural middle school teachers who don’t know the operating procedures and just only know the concept, and don't know what inquiry is learning account for 84.2%, which affect the validity of the inquiry-learning curriculum.

CHART 3 THE KNOWLEDGE AND PROCEDURE OF TEACHERS IN

INQUIRY-LEARNING TEACHING IN TWO GROUPS TEACHERS(%)

candidates n=178

Familiar

Only know the concept

Know nothing

15.7

75.8

8.4

The Work Load of Rural School Teacher Was Heavy At present, the rural middle school teachers' work burden overweight phenomenon is still serious.

Teachers' work burden is overweight, and objectively they don’t have enough time and energy to go into the inquiry-learning curriculum. And the content of the inquiry-learning course is beyond the scope of teaching materials and teaching reference, which make the former subject teaching ideas and the inquiry-learning curriculum teaching ideas have a big difference. Rural middle school teachers don’t have any enough time to learn and research, and therefore it is impossible to give a full grasp and the guidance of the inquiry-learning curriculum content. In addition, it is inevitable to influence the effective guidance of inquiry-learning.

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School of Inquiry-Learning Curriculum Management Don’t Reach the Designated Position From the investigation of the rural middle school teachers' answer about the inquiry- learning curriculum management of schools, only 28.7% of the surveyed teachers choose that school gives reward for the person ,class and grade, because the good operation of the inquiry-learning curriculum.

Effective Measures to Improve Rural Middle School Teachers' Inquiry-Learning Teaching Set up New Teaching View Educational philosophy governs education activity (Long Huiling, 2010, 8, 119). To open the inquiry-learning curriculum is a deep revolution of education ideas. “The goal of inquiry-learning is to gain the experience deeply involving in research, and to cultivate the ability of finding and solving problems, cultivate the ability of information collection, analysis and use, learn to share and cooperation, cultivate scientific attitude and scientific ethics, to develop the social sense of responsibility and sense of mission (The Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, 2001). Rural middle school teachers should realize the meaning of opening the inquiry-learning curriculum in the height of improving the quality of the nation. Teachers should understand the meaning of opening inquiry-learning curriculum by the goal of training students' creativity and transmit innovation talent, and to deepen teaching sense of responsibility and sense of mission. Changing the traditional view teachers teach, students learn. Teacher’s responsibility to transfer knowledge become less and less, and more and more is to stimulate students to thinking. Besides the official function of educating, teachers will increasingly become a consultant, an exchange of views on the participants, a contradictory argument discover rather than the truth giver (UNESCO international education development committee, 1996, 108). Setting up that teaching is the students’ reflective and critical, exploratory activity under the guidance of teachers, which is the new teaching view about the relationship between teachers and students.

Take an Active Part in Education Scientific Research, Promote Inquiry Learning Teaching Ability “Inquiry learning is an activity that the student under the guidance of teachers to choose the research topic and acquire knowledge and applying knowledge, solving the problem in the process of study( The

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Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, 2001).” Inquiry-learning curriculum belongs to scientific inquiry. It is based on subjects and projects design, which have long cycle and the full link. The most essential properties of inquiry-learning curriculum is “research”, the research process is similar to the process of scientific research. If the teacher’s ability is not very well, how to guide students to research." Paper will sleep shallow, he must be to practice." Teachers with research and independent writing experience, they can give students knowledge and methodological guidance. Teachers should actively participate in the research of all types and at all levels, keep learning and exploring in practice, and should be good at critical thinking on their own teaching behaviour and evaluation, draw lessons from the past, to ensure simultaneous enhancement of theory and ability and to guide the students' ability of inquiry learning in further.

Constantly Renewing Rural Middle School Teachers’ Knowledge and Improving Teachers' Inquiry-Learning Curriculum Teaching Skills The success or failure of the inquiry-learning curriculum implementation is the key to the teacher.

There are no teaching materials of inquiry-learning curriculum and no familiar routines specification.

Besides, there is no doubt that those will increase a lot of uncertain factors in the curriculum implementation.

In the process of inquiry-learning teaching, many teachers feel deeply that the original subject knowledge cannot meet the students' thirst for knowledge. Therefore, the rural middle school teachers should constantly renewing knowledge, improving knowledge structure, and transform the structure from the simple to the complex. Sticking to the unity of knowledge, teachers should improve the teaching ability of choosing research topic, project implementation, organizing the study and discussion, forming the research results and so to realize the knowledge of psychological persuasion.

Holding The Hot And Difficult Problem Of The Students Care About When Selecting Topics And Improving The Teaching Pertinence Of Inquiry-Learning Curriculum.

“Interest is the best teacher (Albert Einstein, 1979, 144).” Holding the hot and difficult problems of the students care about when selecting topics is the premise of improving the inquiry-learning curriculum.

The teaching pertinence requires teachers should teach

International Journal of Modern Education Forum (IJMEF) Volume 3 Issue 4, November 2014

on target. "The target" is the hot and difficult problems that students concern about. The inquiry-learning subject should choose from the real world as far as possible, and should be determined by students' interest.

Using the Correct Teaching Method, Improve the Effectiveness of the Inquiry-Learning Curriculum Using appropriate specific teaching methods is the key to improve the target of the inquiry-learning teaching.

“Force is the worst method of teaching (Mei Zude, 1995, 256).” In the course of inquiry learning teaching activities, the most frequently used research methods are inductive research method, analogy research methods and experimental research method.

To Establish a School Microcosmic Mechanism of Opening Inquiry-Learning Curriculum To establish a school microcosmic mechanism of opening inquiry-learning curriculum and school microcosmic mechanism is an effective incentive measure to develop the teachers’ teaching ability. The importance and complexity of inquiry-learning curriculum demand the schools focus on school organization, system construction, evaluation and coordination.

And school should formulate implementation plan and coordinate the relationship of curriculum implementation, and clearly define the responsibilities of each departments, solve the problems and difficulty, supervise and check the implementation, formulate evaluation plan, carry out rewards and punishments; build the teacher evaluation system of inquiry-learning curriculum, and raise the level of research learning curriculum teaching in practice. The content of evaluation mainly includes: the effect of teachers’ guidance on environmental

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advocacy, diversification of curriculum resources, data collection methods, design of problem solution, and the formation of conclusion, teachers emotion regulation to students and so on. In the process of evaluation, employing both quantitative and qualitative research methods, and give priority to formative assessment, and make sure the diversity of evaluation, play the diagnosis, management and incentive functions of teacher evaluation, based on the teachers' professional development.

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