Teacher instructional practices and student achievement in science streaming classes: the case of Islamic religious schools in Kelantan, Malaysia

Abstract

As teachers are pressed to extend their craft to prepare more diverse students for the challenge of work and life beyond school, they are challenged to provide more authentic instructional contexts and activities. In order to be successful, teachers must be reflective and analytical about their own practices. Toward this end, the study investigated instructional practices (IP) of teachers in Islamic religious schools in Kelantan, Malaysia. The focus was on these teachers’ IP while teaching subjects of Biology, Chemistry and Physics in Science Streaming Classes. The four instructional practices measured are Inquiry-Discovery (ID), Constructivism, Science Technology and Society (STS) and Mastery Learning and the analysis of data indicate high mean score, i.e., ID (M = 3.75), Constructivism (M= 3.94), STS (M= 3.70) and mastery learning (M = 3.75). This means to prove all 18 teacher participants in the study adopt these IPs. The study also focused on students’ achievement factors in terms of Motivation and Self-regulated learning (SRL). 233 students responded to two instruments; Students’ Motivation Toward Science Learning (SMTSL) by Tuan et al. (2005) and SRL scale by the Paul R. P and Elisabeth V. D. G, (1990) which was modified accordingly. A moderate level of motivation (M=2.38) and moderate level of SSRL (M=2.49) was recorded among students. The study therefore concludes that the heavy subject load of integrating both Islamic Religious and Science streaming curriculums do not hinder teachers to adopt various IPs, or students from being motivated and self-regulate their learning