THE EFFECTS OF STUDENT-CENTRED APPROACH ON BASIC PRACTICAL SKILLS OF PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS AT OLA COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, CAPE COAST

ABSTRACT

The study is an action research aimed at assessing the effects of studentcentred approach on basic practical skills of pre-service teachers at OLA College of Education – Cape Coast in the Central Region of Ghana. A class of forty female preservice teachers were used for the study. The main purpose of the study was to adopt the student-centred approach which is a teaching strategy that attempts to assist students to discover their own knowledge through an activity to acquire basic practical skills for teaching at the basic school level. Practical lessons and teachermade test were the instruments used to assess the impact of the student-centred approach on the pre-service teachers after they had gone through five main lessons on basic practical skills in science. Data collected from the study was analysed qualitatively and conclusions were drawn. Notable among the findings of the study was that, the student centred approach allowed students to have equal opportunity to interact and manipulate teaching and learning materials. The students were able to cut, mount, draw and label given specimen among other practical skills. In view of the findings, it was concluded that it is possible to improve students’ basic practical skills through the use of student-centred approach since it strengthens students’ motivation. The recommendation made was that all pre-service science-teachers in all colleges of education be given a one semester course training on basic practical skills in science in order to equip them for the teaching of science.