Shortcomings of the current approaches in th pre-service and in-service

chemistry teachers trainings

Teaching is a complex and intellectually challenging profession. In order to withstand these
challenge teachers must adopt the stance of lifelong learning.

Teacher training refers to the policies, procedures, and provision designed to equip teachers
with the knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and skills they require to perform their tasks
effectively in the classroom, school, and wider community.
Training is required when a gap between what teachers have and what are expected of them
exists with regard to competencies, skills, knowledge and attitudes.

Teachers are required to master their subjects taught to facilitate improvement of student
understanding. Training and collaboration are necessary to increase teachers’ proficiency
in the subjects.

To improve teacher professionalism in teaching much work is expected to enhance teacher

knowledge in content and pedagogy.

Teachers training approaches should encompass disciplinary content knowledge, pedagogical

content knowledge, and how students understand content knowledge.

Teachers must have a mindset to provide valuable experience in facilitating the mastery of
chemistry by using appropriate methodologies such as conducting laboratory experiments.

Trainings organised for employees throughout their career add value to their substantive
skills. Teachers competency in achieving educational goals should be improved and require a
wide range of training and development programs to motivate them and enhance their
creativity in teaching and understanding the field of knowledge. The training process
influences teachers and improves goal achievement. Trainings provide teachers with
knowledge and skills to be applied in their field.

However, in our country’s context the following shortcomings arise in the chemistry training
approaches.

Chemistry teachers trainings basically do not focus on creating:

• active learning opportunities for teachers;
• opportunities to develop skills and knowledge, use it in practice, reflect, and share;
• deep understanding of focus area;
• collaborative learning;
• learning opportunities derived from both research and practice;
• systemic initiatives for school and education reform; and
• support for teachers in leadership roles.

Currently most inservice programmes are not comprehensive in nature. Instead, the
programmes have particular emphases. Some programmes seek to develop competencies
related to teaching methods. Other programmes focus on knowledge or skills development.
Still other inservice efforts are aimed at making teachers aware of existing instructional
materials.
 Proposed chemistry teachers’ training model
It is difficult to recommend a general training programme model to chemistry subject
competencies in educators. This is due in part to the diversity of designs and constraints which
must be considered in existing programmes. Therefore, the discussion that follows
will outline a process of proposing typical teacher training programs at secondary levels.

The goal of any teacher education effort or program in chemistry should be to develop
chemical competencies. The competencies take the form of knowledge, behaviors, and skills
which are necessary to effectively incorporate the subject in educational programes.

Numerous strategies have been employed to develop the chemical competencies of both
preservice and inservice teachers. Here it is necessary to examine the gap between a clearly
perceived teachers training and teachers necessary competencies. Current efforts and
programmes should aim in developing these competencies in preservice and inservice teachers.
The implementation of preservice teacher training efforts are better to vary greatly in terms of
the quantity and quality of preservice programmes.

Inservice training of teachers can take various forms. In a comprehensive inservice programme
the chemistry subject related competencies which the teachers lack are identified, and then
strategies are employed to develop the necessary competencies.

The initial steps in designing training programmes at either pre or inservice levels must
include a definition of the desired teacher product. The most functional way to define the
product is in the form of expected behavioral competencies - associated knowledge, skills, and
attitudes which are necessary in order to effectively teach secondary school chemistry subject.
It may well be impossible for a single educational training programme to effectively complete
the training of teachers in all competency areas. The need for continued development of these
competencies will undoubtedly
exist throughout the individual educator’s career. Accordingly, these competency statements
used to develop preservice programmes or continuing inservice programmes in chemistry
teacher training.
Preservice training programmes in chemistry teaching may involve three approaches:
(1) a specific course in chemistry subject know how;
(2) infusion of methods to teach the already designed curriculum; and
(3) addition of courses in the curriculum which deal with foundational components.
Ideally, a preservice training programme would incorporate all three of these approaches.
Since the very nature of chemistry as an interdisciplinary subject aimed at solving local,
regional, national, and international environmental problems, much must be done to enable
teachers common cultural skills and knowledge,
a variety of generic investigation skills, and a set of affective attributes known to many areas of
human endeavor.
Care in the design and implementation of inservice chemistry education training is critical if
the programme is to result in effective chemistry teaching in the classroom.
Inservice training programmes may utilize one of three organizational designs, or some
modification or combination of these three basic designs.
If the inservice training is expected to provide all necessary competencies ,the approach may
be different from preservice teachers up-dated on specific topics or on methods in teaching.
The latter purpose may be achieved by laboratory works offered by outside experts or by
trained peers. This may also be an appropriate way to use inservice modules which teachers
work through on their own and in small group workshops. The more challenging task of
thoroughly training an inservice population of teachers may require a more eclectic approach.
If the programme is intended to build a positive attitude towards and acceptance of the
infusion of the subject into the classroom, a model should be developed which relies at least
partially on peer training. Peers who
have successfully infused chemistry into their own teaching, or who are positive about a
proposed chemistry curriculum adoption may be more effective in facilitating participants’
attitude development than superordinates.
If this potential is to be reached, planners must develope strategies for:
(1) assessing the needs and preferences of the inservice teachers and involving them in all
dimensions of the planning process
(2) selecting competent trainers at any level who have adequate knowledge, skills, and the
ability to establish rapport with trainees.
(3) providing adequate time for the effective completion of training.
(4) assuring that necessary materials will be available at appropriate times and-in sufficient
quantities.
(5) coordinating programme efforts between and within levels of the system.
(6) evaluating the process of the programme and revising plans accordingly.
Regardless of the ultimate format selected for a teacher training programme, care must be
exercised to see that the final product of the programme has sufficient competencies to be an
effective educator. The degree of competency required in various areas will depend on the
grade level, subject matter, and target population to which the teacher is assigned.
To conclude a preservice teacher training programme may involve any one or combination of
three approaches:
(1) developing a specific course to add to the curriculum;
(2) infusing methods and foundational components into existing programme courses and
(3) Interelating the course to real life existing problems and using it to solve them
Each approach provides some distinct strengths and imposes some constraints, all of which
must be considered in developing a programme.

Reasons for the proposed model

Chemistry is a laboratory-based discipline. High school chemistry knowledge points are
characterized by a more casual, some content also brings an abstract result, many teachers
have strong interest in teaching chemistry for students entering high school, after gradually
lost interest in chemistry and therefore, as a high school chemistry teachers must effort to
study high school chemistry teaching, and continuously improve their teaching. Among them,
learn and master in teaching the skills to stimulate students is a very important part.
The teacher should also be aware of the process of learning and the learning cycle such as the
Kolb model. By understanding the learning cycle the teacher can enhance the teaching and
learning taking place in the classroom. It is important for the teacher to realise that learners
have a range of different intelligences and learning styles.
These and other skills and competences of chemistry teachers come up by training models
proposed by the in-service trainer in the second part.