Teachers’ Difficulty in Teaching Classes VII and VIII Sciences in Bhutanese Schools: A Case Study in Gasa, Punakha and Wangdue Phodrang Districts

Abstract

This study aimed at finding out the teachers’ difficulty in teaching classes VII and VIII science. The research methodology used in this study is convergent parallel mixed method. A total of 107 Classes IX and X students and 12 science teachers from two higher secondary schools and a middle secondary school were included for the study. Data collection instruments used were survey questionnaires and focus group interview. Survey questionnaire data is analyzed using SPSS, while the recorded interview data is analyzed based on themes. The findings of this study revealed that teachers are facing difficulty in teaching classes VII and VIII science as they are not able to teach contents of science that are not their area of specialization. Therefore, study recommends Ministry of Education, Bhutan to work towards developing bifurcated science: Physics, Chemistry and Biology for Classes VII and VIII.