Supports and barriers to achievement in secondary school chemistry : exploring the teaching and learning of year 12 chemistry in Samoa : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand
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Date
2013
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Massey University
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Abstract
Within the Samoan context, education is seen as critical to furthering the national goal of
have sufficient qualified citizens who can create opportunities within an increasingly more
technical and market-orientated economy. Science education is seen as playing an
important role in this, yet despite significant government investment students’ achievement
in science has continued to be a concern.
This research focused on exploring the supports for and barriers to students’ achievements
in Year 12 chemistry in Samoa. The study involved students and teachers from one
chemistry classroom from each of three government co-educational secondary schools: two
from urban areas and one from a rural area in Upolu, the main island of Samoa.
Using participants’ interviews, classroom observations, and samples of students’ work, case
study methodology was used to investigate participants’ perspectives of supports and
barriers to learning and teaching senior chemistry in Samoa. Analysis of both common and
distinctive ideas across the three case studies revealed the ways in which factors that relate
to Samoan cultural values, the institution, and the classroom could act as barriers or
supports to students’ chemistry achievement. This happened in complex ways. While some
factors were considered by both teachers and students to be either a barrier or a support to
chemistry learning, others were perceived differently by teachers and students, and
depended on context. Implications for practice include: the use of fa’a-Samoa to support
learning, the need for professional development around teachers’ beliefs and classroom
practice, the need to take into account students’ perceptions of meaningful learning in
chemistry, and the role of Samoan language in the learning and assessment in chemistry in
Samoa.
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Keywords
Secondary school chemistry, Chemistry teaching, Samoa, Science education, Samoa, Student learning, Samoa, Year 12 chemistry, Barriers to learning