Articles written by

Doreen Mizzi

Volume 13-Issue 1: June 2019

Teaching Science: Challenges Encountered when Teaching an Area Outside Science Specialism

Integrated Science is taught in the initial two years of secondary school in Malta and includes topics from Physics, Chemistry and Biology. Most Science teachers are likely to have a degree level qualification in one Science subject, therefore when teaching Integrated Science they would need to teach topics that they might not have studied beforehand. When teaching outside science specialism teachers will be teaching a subject/s that they did not study at Degree or even at Advanced Level. This can offer considerable challenges. The research study was carried out to explore the main challenges that Science teachers, who are non- Chemistry specialists, encounter when teaching Chemistry topics from the Integrated Science syllabus. Following a qualitative methodological approach, data were gathered mainly through interviews and classroom observations. This paper presents three case studies of participant teachers who narrate their experiences when planning and teaching Chemistry topics and how this affects their self–efficacy and identity as Science teachers. Teachers also describe how they deal with these challenges to improve their practices. Based upon the outcomes of this research recommendations are provided to support teachers in teaching outside an area of their science specialism.
36 min read
Volume 16-Issue 1: June 2022

Crossing Boundaries Revisited: Strategies used by science teachers when teaching outside specialism

Science teachers in Malta generally have a degree-level qualification in one science subject. Yet, they have to teach physics, chemistry and biology as part of the science curriculum in the first two years of secondary school. Teaching outside specialism, that is teaching a subject that was not studied at degree level or Advanced level, can be challenging because teachers need to learn new content knowledge and develop strategies to teach an unfamiliar area. A qualitative case study was carried out to investigate how a group of science teachers approach the teaching of chemistry as their non-specialist area. Data were gathered through semi- structured interviews. Building on a preliminary study, published in vol.13 no.1 of the Malta Review of Educational Research (Mizzi, 2019a), this paper focuses on how teachers negotiate subject boundaries in dealing with the challenges that arise when planning and teaching chemistry topics. The outcomes of this study demonstrate that teachers either make use of enabling or coping strategies when teaching chemistry and, at times, shift between these two ends of the continuum. The findings show that the strategies adopted are dependent on the teachers’ knowledge base, their teaching experience and on their confidence and willingness to expand their own teaching identity. Moreover, particular strategies enabled them to cross boundaries and feel competent at their non-specialist area.