Psychology behind Elementary Educators’ “Science Process Skills”

Abstract

The ability to apply scientific processes, known as “science process skills”, is crucial for teachers who instruct science as it is an integral part of science instruction. Teachers with strong “science process skills” are believed to help students comprehend and use scientific principles correctly. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the degree of proficiency in “science process skills (SPS)” of 71 elementary Science 6 teachers in Surigao City Division, Surigao City, Philippines. A modified researcher-made test questionnaire was administered to collect data. The data were treated statistically utilizing the mean, standard deviation, box plot, and Fisher’s exact test. The study discovered that the teachers had learned basic “science process skills”, whereas integrated “science process skills” were "almost mastered." Moreover, male teacher-respondents were rated higher in controlling variables than female teacher-respondents. This research found a significant connection between the teachers' age and sex and their level of competency in observing and controlling variables. Additionally, their level of mastery in “science process skills” such as observing, classifying, measuring, making hypotheses, and interpreting data was related to the type of school they attended.