Katterns, RobertKirkwood, ValdaBaimba, Andrew Augustine2026-07-072026-07-071991https://hdl.handle.net/10289/18435Recent studies in philosophy of science and learning theory have identified elements that add a socio-cultural dimension to science curriculum debates. These suggest that effective science education must take account of the culture in which it is being offered. Accordingly, the present study conducted in Sierra Leone investigated the viability of a junior secondary school science curriculum that took into account the childrens’ traditional culture. The investigation involved two parts. The first was a case study examining the present state of junior secondary school science education in Sierra Leone using data derived from a survey which canvassed teachers’ perceptions of science and students’ attitudes towards it. The second involved action research in which a group of teachers worked with the researcher to develop, trial and self-evaluate teaching packages in physics based on the Science for All curriculum, an approach that is based on the constructivist view of learning. The main intent of the study was to investigate first, the effects on their professional development of the teachers’ interaction with the new curriculum and, secondly, their students’ attitudes towards science. The research instruments employed were interviews, classroom observation and an attitudes to science questionnaire. The initial case study showed that the present junior secondary school science programme in Sierra Leone was characterised by: 1. Unfavourable students’ attitudes towards science. 2. Low numbers of General Science teachers with subject expertise in Physics and Chemistry. 3. A lack of sense of direction in determining goals and objectives. 4. Inadequate pre-service teacher education preparation. 5. Limited teacher understanding of recent changes in the thinking about the nature of science and the ways of acquiring scientific knowledge. Successful use of the new curriculum to overcome these problems was hindered by the teachers’ scepticism about the new curriculum, a gap between their theoretical and practical understanding of the change process, and insufficient skills to implement the revised curriculum. Techniques employed to alleviate these problems during the action research suggested that teachers’ commitment could be increased by clarifying conceptually the need for innovation. The researcher’s support and encouragement throughout the curriculum trials significantly helped teachers to give practical expression to their theoretical understanding of the change process. Action research with the new curriculum brought about major changes in the teachers’ approach to teaching. They showed evidence of appreciating recent constructivist views about the nature of science and the ways of acquiring scientific knowledge. The development of their own effective and more relevant curriculum also enhanced the teachers’ self esteem. But even though the teachers with their new found confidence believed otherwise, post-test results showed that students’ attitudes to science were not enhanced by their interaction with the new curriculum. The results of the study suggest policy implications for Sierra Leone. The educational system and science curricula need to dwell far less on western-type syllabuses and public examinations and develop instead science curricula that bridge school science and students’ everyday application of scientific ideas in their traditional settings. Nevertheless, much research is required to identify cultural aspects that can be linked to the school science curriculum. Concomitantly, there is need to research the viability of both preservice and inservice teacher education programmes that can bring about the bridging referred to. The present action research study is a beginning.enAll items in Research Commons are provided for private study and research purposes and are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated.Thesis