A ZJER study on the attitude of pre-service student teachers in Kenya towards the  teaching Chemistry.The purpose of this study was to determine the attitudes held by pre-service chemistry student teachers. A survey was conducted on Egerton University students in the 2002/2003 academic year. The sample included all the Bachelor of Education (Science) pre-service chemistry students. These students had just covered the Chemistry Subject Methods course and were about to start their teaching practice programme. The sample consisted of 71 male and 34 female student teachers, making a total of 105 respondents. A modified Chemistry Teachers’ Attitudes Questionnaire (CTAQ) for measuring chemistry teachers’ attitudes towards teaching was developed and used for data collection. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, t-test and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The results show that pre-service chemistry student teachers have high positive attitudes towards teaching. Student teachers’ gender and subject combination have no influence on their attitudes towards chemistry teaching. These findings suggest that the current teacher training approach at Egerton University should be maintained and enriched

Muchiri, D.R.

Ngari, M

Wachanga, S.W

Zimbabwe Journal of Educational Research

English

IDS OpenDocs

ZIMBABWE JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH
Volume 15 Number 3 November 2003 
ISSN 1013-3445 
CONTENTS
Women Perceptions of ‘Masculine’ Technical Careers: A 
Comparative Study of Women in ‘Feminine’ and ‘Masculine’ 
Employment Occupations in the City of Gweru, Zimbabwe
TawantLi Rjtnhare
Active Learning Approaches in Zimbabwean Science and 
Mathematics Classrooms
Kudo Kwari
A Preliminary Survey of Marital Adjustment among 
Zimbabwe Open University Students
Regis Chireshe & John Mapfumo
Generative Thinking among Young Zimbabwean Children: A 
Case of the Third Eye
Taruvinga D. Mushoriwa
Preservice Student Teachers’ Attitudes towards Chemistry 
Teaching: The Case of Egerton University, Kenya
Samuel W. Wdchanga, Mwaniki Ngari & D.R. Muchiri
Volume 15 Number 3 November 2003 
ISSN 1013-3445 
CONTENTS
Women Perceptions of ‘Masculine’ Technical Careers: A Comparative Study 
of Women in ‘Feminine’ and ‘Masculine’ Employment Occupations in the 
City of Gweru, Zimbabwe
TamndaRunhare......... ............................................. ............................... 133
Active Learning Approaches in Zimbabwean Science and Mathematics 
Classrooms
Rudo Kwari........................................ ......................................... ............  151
A Preliminary Survey of Marital Adjustment among Zimbabwe Open 
University Students
Regis Chireshe <£rJohn Mapfumo.................................................................. 161
Generative Thinking among Young Zimbabwean Children: A Case of the 
Third Eye . :
Taruvinga D. Musboriwa..................................,......................... ......... ..... 173
Preservice Student Teachers’ Attitudes towards Chemistry Teaching: Tire 
Case of Egerton University, Kenya
Samuel W. Wachanga, MwanikiNgari &D.R. Muchiri................................. 187
PRESERVICE STUDENT TEACHERS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS 
CHEMISTRY TEACHING: THE CASE OF EGERTON UNIVERSITY,
KENYA
Samuel W. Wachanga, Mwaniki Ngari & D.R. Muchiri 
' ' Egerton University
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine the attitudes held by preservice 
chemistry student teachers. A survey was conducted on Egerton University students 
in the 2002/2003 academic year. The sample included all the Bachelor of Education 
(Science) preservice chemistry students. These students had just covered the 
Chemistry Subject Methods course and were about to start their teaching practice 
programme. The sample consisted of 71 male and 34 female student teachers, 
making a total of 105 respondents. A modified Chemistry Teachers’ Attitudes 
Questionnaire (CTAQ) for measuring chemistry teachers’ attitudes towards 
teaching was developed and used for data collection. Data were analysed using 
descriptive statistics, t-test and Analysis of Variance ( ANOVA). The results show 
that preservice chemistry student teachers have high positive attitudes towards 
teaching. Student teachers’ gender and subject combination have no influence on 
their attitudes towards chemistry teaching. These findings suggest that the current 
teacher training approach at Egerton University should be maintained and enriched.
Introduction
For a chemistry teacher to undertake the teaching task properly, he or she should 
possess adequate chemistry subject matter, effective communication skills and 
favourable attitudes towards chemistry teaching (Elton & Manwaring, 1982). Azeb 
(1982) said that some scholars argue that when a person has mastered the subject 
matter he can teach it. No doubt, the first pre-requisite of good teaching is content 
mastery. When a teacher, has content deficiency, no amount of training in pedagogy 
wquld make up for the deficiency. However, when one has mastered the subject 
matter, then effective communication and proper attitudes can help improve the 
teaching and thereby improve students’ learning.
Research has shown th it'“teaching can be taught” arid that almost everyone with 
sufficient academic knowledge can become, if not a brilliant teacher, at least a better
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Zimbabwe journa l o f  Educational Research
one (Bazler & Simons, 1990). It is with,this background in mind that Egerton 
University’s chemistry education programme has been designed. The programme 
contains education and chemistry courses aimed at producing chemistry teachers 
who possess adequate content, communication skills and favourable attitudes 
(Egerton University, 1999). Such teachers would be able to assist secondary school 
students achieve the objectives of the chemistry course. These objectives are as 
follows
i) Handle apparatus, make accurate observations and draw simple conclusions 
during experimental work.
ii) Select and use appropriate apparatus for experimental investigations.
ii) Recall safety procedures and follow experimental practices.
iii) Write chemical symbols of elements and formulae of compounds and 
equations of simple reactions.
v) Identify patterns of chemical behaviour of substances.
vi) Use ideas, concepts and skills acquired in learning chemistry to solve problems 
in everyday life (Kenya Institute of Education (KIE), 2002)
For a teacher to be able to cover the content required for the achievement of the 
above objectives within the stipulated time, he/she must possess the right teaching 
attitudes. Such attitudes are acquired during training at university. However, the 
extent to which Egerton University’s student teachers are acquiring these attitudes in 
the course of training is not known. Therefore, this study seeks to establish the 
students’ attitudes towards the teaching of chemistry.
Statement of the Problem
Chemistry is a key science subject in the curriculum of educational institutions 
because it assists in the study of other science subjects such as Biology and Physics. 
In addition, it is involved in important processes such as the production of food, 
drugs and plastics. Therefore, it should be taught by motivated teachers who have 
the right attitudes towards it. However, the attitude of teachers who are being 
prepared to join the chemistry teaching profession is not clearly known. Also, the 
influence of the teacher’s gender and subject combination on attitudes towards 
chemistry teaching needs to be determined.
188
S.W. WtxhtmgaM-Ngari &D. R. Muchiri
Purpose and Objectives of the Study
The study was designed to determine the attitudes held by preservice chemistry 
student teachers at Egerton University. Its specific objectives were to:-
1. establish the preservice student teachers’ attitudes towards chemistry 
teaching.
2. determine whether gender influences the student teacher s attitudes towards 
chemistry teaching.
3. establish whether there is a relationship between a students’ subject 
combination and his or her attitude towards chemistry teaching.
Research Hypotheses
To achieve the objectives of the study, the following hypotheses were tested at 0.05 
level of significance.
Hoi Chemistry student teachers do not have a positive attitude towards 
chemistry teaching.
Hq2 There is no statistically significant relationship between student teachers’ 
gender and their attitudes towards chemistry teaching.
H03 There is no statistically significant relationship between student teachers’ 
subject combinations and their attitudes towards chemistry teaching.
Conceptual Framework
A teacher’s attitude towards teaching may be affected by several factors (Sprinthall & 
Sprinthall, 1990). In this study, the relationships between teachers’ gender, their 
subject combinations and their attitudes towards chemistry teaching were 
investigated. Other factors such as the teacher’s age, coverage of teaching methods 
courses and chemistry content were controlled by involving student teachers who 
were of similar age and at the same level of learning. Diagrammatically, the 
framework may be represented as follows:-
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Zimbabwe Journal o f  Educational Research
Figure 1: Conceptual Framework for Determining the Relationship 
between Student Teacher’s Gender, Second Teaching Subject and 
Attitudes towards Chemistry Teaching
Extraneous variables Independent variables Dependent variable
Methodology 
Research Design
This was a quantitative study in which a survey was conducted on Egerton 
University students in the 2002/2003 academic year. The third year student teachers 
were purposefully sampled for the study because they had covered three years of 
chemistry content. In addition, they had just covered chemistry subject methods 
course and were about to proceed for teaching practice. Therefore, they were well 
placed in responding to the items in the questionnaire.
Sample
The sample included all the Bachelor of Education (Science) preservice chemistry 
students in the 2002/2003 academic year. The students were considered to be 
sufficiently well prepared to be able to respond to the items in the research 
instrument. There were 71 male and 34 female student teachers, making a total of 
105 respondents.
Instrumentation
190
X W. WachangaM-Ngari eS“ D.R. Mucbiri
A modified questionnaire for measuring chemistry teacher’s attitude towards 
teaching was developed and used for data collection (Mullei, 1987). It had twenty 
Likert type items in the following areas:-
a) Interest in teaching chemistry.
b) Attitudes towards resources used in chemistry teaching.
c) Attitudes towards training of chemistry teachers.
d) Attitudes towards chemistry as a career.
e) Value of chemistry in nation building.
Questionnaire items were reviewed and found to be content valid by a panel of 
experts drawn from Egerton University as recommended by Borg and Gall (1989). 
The reliability coefficient of the instrument was 0.71. This is an acceptable value for 
the study (Fraenkel & Warren, 1990).
Data Collection and Analysis
The sampled students were informed and requested to assemble in the lecture hall 
on a fixed date and time. The questionnaire was then administered by the 
researchers. This ensured 100% return of the filled questionnaires. Sanders and 
Pinhey (1979) group survey procedure was observed.
Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data. In additipn, inferential statistics 
were used particularly t-test and ANOVA-
Results
Overall Students’ Attitudes Towards Chemistry Teaching
Overall mean score on the CTAQ is 85.18%. This is. quite high, indicating that the 
student teachers have positive attitudes towards chemistry teaching. This could' be 
an indicator o f the attitudes inculcated in them during the chemistry content and 
methods courses.
Relationship Between Student Teachers’ Gender and their Attitiides 
Towards Chemistry Teaching
191
Zimbabwe Journal o f  Educational "Research
There were 71 male and 34 female student teachers in the study. The average score 
attained by male student teachers was 85.15%, while that of female student teachers 
was 85.24%. Although the female student teachers’ score was slightly higher than 
that of male student teachers, the difference-was not'significant t(103) =0.059, 
p>0.05
Table 1: Independent Samples t-test of the Scores by Male and Female 
Student Teachers on the CTAQ
Students N M ean Score % S.D. t-value p-value
Male Student Teachers 71 85.15 6.74 0.059 0.953
Female Student Teachers 34 85.24 5.93
This implies diat male and female student teachers have similar attitudes towards 
chemistry teaching.
Relationship Between Student Teachers’ Subject Combination and their 
Attitudes Towards Chemistry Teaching
In order to determine whether there is a relationship between teachers’ subject 
combination and their attitudes towards Chemistry teaching, an analysis of their 
scores in the CTAQ was carried out. H03 sought to establish whether there is a 
relationship between student teachers’ subject combination and their attitudes 
towards Chemistry teaching. Table 2 shows the CTAQ mean scores obtained by 
students based on subject combinations.
Results in Table 2 show that the physics/chemistry students had the highest mean 
score, while the maths/chemistry students had the lowest score.
Table 2: CTAQ Mean Scores Obtained by Students
192
S. W. WachangaM- Ngarf &D.R. Muchtri
Group N M ean Score % S.D.
Maths/Chemistry 60 84.17 6.99
Biology/Chemistry 26 85.92 5.71
Geography/Chemistry 11 85.00 5.08
Physics/ Chemistry 8 90.63 3.11
Total 105 86.43 6.46
Table 3 shows the results of one way AN OVA based on the means in Table 2. It 
shows that the differences in mean scores are not significant, F (3,101) = 2.62, p > 
0.05. H03 is, therefore, retained.
Table 3: ANOVA of the CTAQ Mean Scores Based on Students* Subject
Combinations
Sum of squares df M ean Square F p-value
Between groups 313.507 3 104.502 2.622 0.055
Within groups . 4026.054 101 . 39.862
Total 4339.561 104
Having established that there was no significant difference between the means, it 
was then necessary to carry out further tests on the various combinations of means. 
Table 4 shows the results of the Least Significance Difference (LSD) post hoc 
comparisons
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Zimbabwe journa l o f  Educational Research
Table 4:Post Hoc Comparisons of the CTAQ Mean Scores Based on
Subject Combinations
(D Subject (T) Mean Difference (T-T) p-Value
LSD Maths Biology -1.756 0.239
Geography - 0.833 0.688
Physics - 6.458 0.008
Biology Maths 1.756 0.239
Geography 0.923 0.685
Physics - 4.702 0.068
Geography Maths 0.833 0.688
Biology - 0.923' 0.685
Physics - 5.625 0.058
Physics Maths 6.458 0.008
Biology 4.702 0.068
Geography 5.625 0.058
Results in Table 4 show that the pairs of mean scores of students in various groups 
are not statistically different except those of Physics and Maths students. For,the 
mathematics and physics students, p = 0.008. The CTAQ mean scores of the four 
groups are in the following order:
X (Physics) > X (Biology) > X (Geography) > X (Mathematics)
This means that Physics students have the highest positive attitude towards 
chemistry teaching while Mathematics students have the lowest. For the 
Maths/Chemistry and Physics/Chemistry students, H03 is rejected. The four means 
are represented in the graph shown in Figure 2.
1
194
S.W. WackangaJfi.Ngari & D.R. Mucbtri
Figure 2: CTAQ Mean Score of the Four Groups
The graph (Figure 2) shows the trend of the mean scores. Physics students have die 
highest score while Mathematics students have the lowest.
Discussion , \ . . ? „
I
Overall mean score of student teachers’ attitudes towards Chemistry teaching is 
85.18%. This means that most Chemistry student teachers have positive attitudes 
towards Chemistry teaching.
Mullei. (1987) reported that teachers who have favourable attitudes towards 
Chemistry teaching engage more in activity-centred teaching programmes than 
those whose attitude is less favourable. Since both male and female teachers have 
been found to have favourable attitudes towards Chemistry teaching,, it would be 
expected that they are likely to engage in superior teaching methods which involve 
inquiry and discovery approach (Wachanga, 2002).
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Zimbabwe Journal o f  Educational Research
Gender has no influence on student teachers attitudes towards Chemistry teaching. 
However, it. was observed that significantly more female teachers than male ones 
found education courses useful in the preparation of Chemistry teachers t (103) = 
2.796, p<0.05. In addition, it was established that significantly more female teachers 
than male ones felt that they did not need refresher courses t (103) = 2.003, p < 0.05. 
This indicated that female teachers were more confident in handling Chemistry 
teaching than their male counterparts. This contradicts Mullei’s (1987) finding that 
male teachers hold more favourable attitudes towards science teaching dian their 
female counterparts.
In this study, die findings indicate that female teachers are satisfied with the training 
they have received and are therefore likely to be motivated in dieir teaching. This has 
positive implications for Chemistry teaching in that the female teachers will provide 
proper role models for girls in secondary schools (Wasanga, 1997).
This study established that the teachers who were being trained to teach Physics and 
Chemistry had the highest favourable attitude towards chemistry teaching while 
mathematics and chemistry student teachers had the lowest mean score. It seems 
that die closer the second subject was related to Chemistry, the higher the mean 
score. Physics and Biology, being science subjects, resulted in a high favourable 
teacher’s attitude towards chemistry teaching. There is, therefore, need to increase 
the number of Physics/Chemistry and Biology/Chemistry teachers in the 
University.
Implications of the Study
The high favourable attitudes towards Chemistry teaching shown by teacher trainees 
implies that the training approach used in the university should be enhanced. 
However, the number of female teacher trainees should be increased as the number 
has always been lower than that of male teachers. This also applies to the number of 
teacher trainees who take two science subjects such as Physics/Chemistry and 
Biology/Chemistry.
Conclusion
Based on the results of this study, the following conclusions have been reached: -
1%
S.W. WachangaM-Ngari& D.-R- Muchiri
!)
2) Gender has no effect on student teacher’s attitude towards Chemistry teaching.
3) Subject combination has no effect in student teacher’s attitude towards 
Chemistry teaching except in the case of Physics/Chemistry trainees whose 
attitudes. are significantly more favourable than those of Maths/Chemistry 
trainees.
References
Azeb, D. (1982). The fallacy of assuming that knowledge of subject matter alone 
ensures effective teaching. In L.N. Nelson (Ed.). The Nature o f  Teaching (pp. 
201 -203). New York: Grinn and Company.
Bazler, J., & Simons, D. (1990). Student organisation develops quality science 
teachers. Journal o f  School Science and Mathematics, 90(7), 591-599.
Borg, W.R., & Gall, M.D. (1989). Educational Research: An introduction (5 th ed.). New 
York: Longman.
Elton, L., & Manwaring, G. (1982). Training and Education o f  Teachers in Higher 
Education in Developing Countries. Amsterdam: Elsevier Scientific Publishing 
Company.
Egerton University. (1999).1999-2000 Egerton University Calender. Njoro: Egerton 
University.
Fraenkel, J.R,. & Wallen, N.E. (1990). Hoiv to Design and Evaluate Research in Education. 
New York: McGraw Hill Inc.
Kenya Institute of Education (2002). Secondary Education Syllabus. Nairobi, Kenya: 
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Mullet, V.M. (1987). Comparative Analysis o f  Attitudes Towards Inquiry and non-inquiry 
Science Teaching Methods between Preservice and In-service Secondary School Science 
Teachers. Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya.
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Sprinthall, N.A., & Sprinthall, R.C. (1990). Educational Psychology: A  developmental 
Approach. (5th ed.). New York: McGraw Hill Publishing Company.
Wachanga, S.W. (2002). Relative effects of cooperative class experiment teaching 
method on secondary school students’ motivation to leam chemistry in Nakuru 
District, Kenya. Zimbabwe Journal o f  Educational Research, 14{3), 229-253.
Wasanga, C.M. (1997). The Attitude towards Science among Primary Students in Kenya. 
Nairobi, Kenya: Academy of Science Publishers. • .£
198
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Preservice Student Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Chemistry Teaching: The Case Of Egerton University, Kenya

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Preservice Student Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Chemistry Teaching: The Case Of Egerton University, Kenya

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