Teacher training reforms in Indonesian secondary science: The importance of practical work in physics

✍ Scribed by Micheal Thair; David F. Treagust

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1999
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 40 KB
• Volume: 36
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0022-4308
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1098-2736(199903)36:3<357::aid-tea8>3.0.co;2-i

✦ Synopsis

Science teaching in Indonesia has undergone major reforms since independence. We examine the role of practical activities in secondary science from an international perspective and contrast this to a developing country perspective, identifying a number of constraints limiting the implementation of practical work. In examining major curriculum and teacher training reforms in Indonesia, continuing influences on science education from industrialized countries are acknowledged; however, unlike many other developing countries, Indonesia has essentially implemented curriculum and teacher training reforms using a pool of overseas trained senior teachers and locally trained personnel. A number of research studies on physics practical work in Indonesia are described, and the benefits and constraints of implementing practical work in physics classrooms are discussed.