a.Educational Base Situation in Developing Countries
The educational base situation in Nepal is similar to the situation of developing countries as described by many educationists. The rote memory oriented situation is also prevalent in many countries of the developing world.
Beeby (1966):
" ..teachers fall back on the very narrow subject content they remember from their own school days. It consists of little but completely mechanical drill on the 3R's and the memorization relatively meaningless symbols occupies most of the time .. . memorization is all important." (pp. 58/59 and 72)
Freire (1982) takes the analysis even further. He lists 10 characteristics of schooling in developing countries as follows:
“The teacher teaches and the students are taught.
The teacher knows everything and students know nothing.
The teacher thinks about and the students are thought about.
The teacher talks and the students listen meekly.
The teachers discipline and the students are disciplined.
The teacher chooses and enforces his choice and the students comply.
The teacher acts and the students illusion of acting through the action of the teacher.
The teacher chooses the programme content and the students (who are not consulted) adopt it.
The teacher confuses the authority of knowledge with his own personal authority, which he sets in opposition to the freedom of the students.
The teacher is the subject of learning process, while the students are mere objects.” (pp. 46-47)
He also states that:
"His (The teacher) tasks is to 'fill' the students with the contents of the narration-contents which are detached from reality, disconnected from the reality … the more completely he fills the receptacles, the better a teacher is. The more meekly the receptacles permit themselves to be filled, the better the students they are." (pp. 46/47)
He further says,
"Education thus becomes an act of depository, in which the students are the depositories and the teacher is the depositor. Instead of communicating, the teacher issues communiqués and make deposits which the students potentially receive, memorize and repeat. This is the 'banking' concept of education, in which the scope of action allowed to the students extends only as far as receiving, filling, and storing the deposits. They do, it is true, have the opportunity become collectors or cataloguers of the things they store. But in the last analysis, it is men themselves who are filled away through the lack of creating, transformation, and knowledge in this (at best) misguided system. For, apart from inquiry, apart from praxis, men can not be true human." (p.45)
Oguniyi (1982):
"In many developing countries today, one of the most commonly stated objectives for science education is the 'development of valid understanding of the nature of science. There is general belief that for one reason or other, the students and perhaps teachers held inadequate conceptions of science. Weaver (1964), Abubakar (1969), Bajah (1975), Cole (1975), and several others have reached the conclusion that the manner in which science is taught or learned does not adequately reflect the nature of science” (P.25)
Sund and Trowbridge (1973):
"Teachers have traditionally emphasized the product of science rather than the process of science. This has been done because teachers have not had a good understanding of the philosophical bases and process of science". (p.22)
Keith Warren in Overseas Challenge, part 28, has expressed:
"Unhappily, most of the world's teachers do not at present teach children the approach to real science, if by real science we mean the activity that goes on at the fore front of the search for knowledge." (p.1)
The above quotations summarize the essential message about the educational base situation in the developing countries.
b. Base Situation in Nepal
The related components of science education in Nepal is content rote - memorization oriented. Most of the points described here are discussed by many educationists such as Singh (1984), Mali (1978), 81, Young et al (1982), Reed and Reed (1968), Bennett (1980), Dongol (1981), Pfau (1977), Trowbridge (1974), Ingle and Turner (1982), Sands and Waddington (1979) etc.
i. Teaching Methods
The prevalent methods of teaching in Nepal are dominated by teachers' lectures and explaining. Students are supposed to memorize contents from textbooks.
The teaching is didactic, authoritarian and not re-enforced by the use of simple learning aids. It equates memorization with learning. In all subjects there is very little participation with class or pupil involvement. The main classroom activity is teacher talk. Science lessons differ very little from lessons in other subjects. Although the subject matter to be learned from textbook is intended to be supported by demonstrations in some cases, these are rarely done. (Young et al 1982).
Reed and Reed (1968):
‘The attainment of national aspirations through education in Nepal is being daily deterred by the ineffective teaching learning procedures of the nation's classrooms. Teaching methods at all levels emphasize oral performance. Especially in primary and secondary schools, there is a great deal of chanting of responses to the teacher's cross-examination rote-memory oriented questions. Rote learning and memorization are prized. There is heavy reliance on lecturing with note taking even in primary years. The same limited material is repeated day after day until firmly imbedded in the pupil's memory. At all levels of education, teachers consider the class a homogenous group. There is no recognition of individual differences in ability, home background or interests..'
'Teachers tend to follow faithfully the government syllabus, which lists the concepts to be covered in each subject and at each grade level. But seldom are these concepts considered as problems to be understood, illustrated, discussed, taken part and synthesized.. p.10'
Bennett (1980) puts this way:
'In observing classroom teaching in schools I find it difficult to identify which teachers are or have been trained and which have not, as almost all use lecture, and rote memorization methods, referring to the text books.' P.7
'There is very little practical training at the teacher training campuses, even teaching techniques and methodologies are taught by the usual lecture methods.' P.13)
Pfau (1977) in his doctoral thesis which discussed the cross national classroom teaching behaviours, wrote:
'The survey conducted revealed that Nepalese classes were dominated by teacher talk and teacher ideas. In the classes observed, teachers mostly lectured and asked short narrow questions which are usually followed by short and relatively predictable students' responses. Student did not express their own ideas and opinion in their own words very frequently, teachers made very little use of students ideas.
Few students' activities were observed to occur, other than speaking (mostly in response to questions), some reading and writing and solving mathematical problems. Virtually no group works was observed, nor were field trips, work with reference materials, students reports given to the class, or (except for two schools) laboratory experience in science.
Nepalese teachers also made little use of audio-visual aids, expect perhaps for the black board.
In short, the teaching observed and described confirmed to what many educators would consider to be traditional teacher dominated classes, consisting of mostly 'chalk and talk' interspersed with periods of recitation' p.136)
Jha and Kafley (1980):
'The classroom teaching behaviour of bachelor level practice teaching teachers-students in class is direct and mostly content-oriented. The Institute of Education should consider refining the ways of instruction or even the curriculum, to produce teachers who will work more as coordinators of learning among students.' P.21)
Thus we see there has been very little changes or improvement in classroom teaching behaviours of Nepalese science teachers.
ii. Resource materials and science equipment:
Because of the economy and geographical difficulties, resource materials other than indigenous ones are not available. Only printed material is textbook. (and of course, the natural resources of the region which are invaluable for learning science). There are even places where textbooks are not available. Some basic materials such as curriculum guide, teaching units etc. distributed from curriculum centre are never seen being used. The teachers do not use them because they limit their teaching and learning to textbooks.
Reed and reed (1968):
'Many Nepalese schools lack the most elementary materials. The teacher may posses the only book, or at best there may be one textbook for each two or three students. Blackboards are rare in hill schools, as are writing materials in general. The furnishing of basic educational materials for primary schools would seem to be a matter in which a little effort and expenditure would result in great improvement in Nepalese education.' P.23)
The use of scientific equipment is probably not within the capabilities of many teachers. Nepal has tried in the past 30 years to supply materials especially during early 1970's when the National Education System Plan was implemented and now under secondary education project. Now it is that they are not used where they are available and most of the equipment is left untouched. Teaches are not yet ready for the use of sophisticated equipment (Young et al 1982)
NSSP (1982):
'In science lessons there are few demonstrations. Class practical work is rare. Although the text-book work is intended to support by demonstrations, and some suggestions are included in books, even the best teachers have only limited idea of ways in which practical work can be done and equipment utilized. Many opportunities for both practical work of a simple nature are therefore missed, even by qualified and trained teachers.' P.9)
There is also a concept that science requires only imported fancy materials. Singh (1984) puts the idea this way:
'At present, science is presented in the texts as requiring and being concerned with equipment and materials which are not found frequently in Nepal and have been imported.' P.iii)
Even available materials are problems as teachers are not capable of using them. The physical facilities of schools are not available for storing equipment and materials (NSSP 1982, Reed and Reed 1968).
iii. Examination
The examination also requires only rote memorization of subject matter knowledge (Young et al 1982, Reed and Reed 1968, Singh 1984, Mali 1981).
Reed and Reed (1968):
'These examinations, both local and national, measure the student's memory of subject matter content. Any broader educational objectives are ignored in the construction of examinations.' P.143)
iv. Physical facilities
Because the main teaching method is lecturing by teachers and method of learning in class is listening by students, the classroom has been a place to gather rather than a place to learn actively. The school is a set of classrooms where students can sit, often crowded conditions, to listen to teachers. Subject classroom with necessary educational materials is rare. No facilities for storing equipment or materials are available. In many villages, schools are merely symbols. Classes are run in the open air. Teaching stops when weather does not permit open-air classes (NSSP 1982, Reed and Reed 1968, Mali 1978, Singh 1984). Hence some methods of teaching science, which take account of the situation, must be developed. And more importantly, teachers should be introduced to methods of teaching science which require teachers to know what has to be done in teaching science and thus change in physical facilities to facilitate learning and show how to obtain those facilities.
v. Teacher Training
This has already been discussed above under (i.) earlier. Here the investigator would like to quote some of the views of different educationists who have observed science teaching in Nepal.
'There is little practical training at teacher training campuses, even teaching techniques and methodologies are taught by the usual lecture method (Bennett 1980, p.7)
'The principal mode of campus teaching is by means of lecturing to large groups of students, unsupported by much in the way of demonstration or visual materials (NSSP 1982, p.18)
'The practical and the theory teaching which the potential science teachers get is, therefore, formal, lacking in variety with no real consideration of the needs of the schools .. the use of low cost indigenous materials in place of normal laboratory wares is rarely considered (ibid.).'
'it concentrates too much on academic aspects which are of little relevance to the real problems teachers face in the classroom (Singh 1984, p.111)'.
‘At present approximately 50% of IOE curricula is devoted to teaching academic subject matter, or theoretical concepts of dubious value. There is no need to waste the valuable teacher training time on such subject matter. If considered absolutely essential this academic subject matter could be imparted through correspondence courses (Bennett 1980, p.17).'
So at the end of the teacher training degree course at campuses of Institute of Education, the graduates or teachers find they have acquired little skills about teaching methods.
vi. Text-Books
Textbooks are almost wholly descriptions of subject matter content. Few texts contain problems or activities. Students memorize the texts. Even textbooks which focussed on student's learning activities are rewritten to memorization style (e.g. grade VII textbook, though regarded for being the best book at that time). And even questions are memorized instead of answering or trying to answer them.
vii. Concept of Science
For many westerners the concept of science is concerned with experiment, investigation and discovery. In Nepal science is conceived of as a rote memorization task. This conception permeates the textbooks, the examinations, the teaching skills and even the physical facilities provided for teaching science. The notion that equipment and materials are essential for teaching science is not adopted in the teaching learning classes nor the notion of a classroom where students can actively learn and develop their talents.
The process of science is not yet understood (Reed and Reed 1968, Young et al). Many science-teaching specialists agree on this view.
Young et al (1982) in Secondary Science education project (NSSP 1982):
"The teaching of science in Nepal's schools is similar to the teaching of other subjects. It tends to be didactic, authoritarian teacher oriented-centred, unrelieved by the use of simple teaching or learning aids and equates memorization with learning." (p.9)
viii. Curriculum Development
The curriculum development centre conducts curriculum development in Nepal. Teachers from different parts of the country meet to discuss and plan new curriculum. However these discussions are almost always based upon the assumptions that teaching is lecturing and memorization is learning. Further more no systematic attempts at developing, field testing and evaluating curriculum materials by people or teachers who practice the teaching as demanded by the rationales of teaching is possible to have undertaken. No use is made of the well-known ‘Development and Dissemination’ approach (Havelock 1973). This requires a group of experts working along the line of the philosophical bases of science teaching.
Comments such as the following describe the situation accurately.
Mr. Singh (1984):
"Science courses at all level mainly consists of the more traditional physical and biological science content with a theoretical bias. Such subject matter is not relevant to the needs of the majority of pupils because it fails to give insight into student's own lives and information on which they can act and link to a background of applied rather than academics ones." (p.110)
Such a situation was true even in 1968. Reed and Reed (1969) quoted this way:
"The subject area given most attention in our school, colleges and Universities is language. The abstract studies are dominant, not the concrete, " (p.101)
Yet teachers who understand the nature of science and the modern approach to science teaching could contribute substantially to reform of science education in Nepal, science learned should have highly applicable characters. Contents also need to be chosen so that they have applications in day to day life situation.
ix. Teachers and teaching
In Nepal most of the science teachers are untrained and some are even under qualified (Singh 1984, p.111).
"At present. Nepalese teachers are not, in general, trained in science teaching. They understand neither the concepts of science nor techniques for transmission of the scientific knowledge to students (Reed and Reed 1968, p. 11)"
The so-called trained teachers also are in the similar situation. So it has confused a lot about the training value in Nepal. It appears the change in teaching behaviours has not been significant since 1968, but the opportunities for education has increased tremendously.
The low quality and quantity of students joining places for teacher training is further evidence of the low status of the teaching profession. Faculty members at the college of education agree that the average academic record of students entering the programs of the college is significantly lower than students going into most of Nepal's other well established Institutions of higher education (Reed and Reed 1968, Singh 1984, Mali 1978). This shortage of teachers is even worse in science and mathematics. It is further worsened because most students after the training do not become teachers after completing the education courses. Furthermore, Nepal can not fulfil its present demand for trained teachers by the existing degree programmes (Singh 1984, Dongol 1978, 1980, Bhatta 1975). The programmes' capacity can not be increased to the extent that the need may be satisfied in the near future because of the lack of the resources. Even if more teacher training centres are opened the teacher educators are not available. At the same time there is need to change the teaching behaviors of the trainers as well. There is another problem. Teacher educators do not like to work in remote places. But most of them do not mind to go for few days or weeks. Topographical as well as economic conditions of Nepal do not permit for repeated short courses for in-service teachers, like meeting every day, once a week or once a month or even once a year for most of the teachers. It is not practical.
So the teacher training colleges or government of Nepal requires thinking of a complementary approach. So that, the existing programmes can be improved as well as multiplied the rate of teacher training at least to satisfy the immediate demands of the country for the minimum areas but of direct application in the class room. The requirements have to be listed. One way of doing this can be by conducting some related courses of degree programmes separately. The courses that are relevant to the minimum basic skills and immediate needs can be achieved in shortest period of time. Thus the training can be a part of the degree course and accredited for the completion of the degrees related.
x. Teaching load
Normally teachers have to run classes throughout a day totaling 33 periods per week (5 full days and one half day on Fridays). Because teaches are doing lectures they get tired. They do not have enough breaks in between periods. But rest is essential. So, they teach for shorter time than allocated for periods. In this way the teachers as well as students lose interest.
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