Challenges of a Science Teacher (A Self-Reflection of a Science Teacher)

Since I graduated and passed the Licensure Examination for Science Teachers few years ago, I have devoted my time to enriching and developing myself to be a better teacher everyday. I noticed that everytime that i improve myself, the more that challenges became clearer and clearer to me. I believe in the saying that "the more you find for answers, the more that questions come to you". This is practically true. I am blessed that i handled science for the past years and I have experimented many approaches and strategies to teach the subject matter to my clients, students or learners. 

I am a philosophical man, so I do not just settle down or be complacent to what i have been doing, i always like new things in my subject, and this attitude reflects in the way that i teach. 

Meanwhile, As part of my curiosity and intellectual urge, I enrolled in Masters's degree, and i am overwhelmed that there are so many challenges a science teacher faces not just for me but the entire teacher community and even the system that is far more than I could think of.

These are some of the challenges that Science teachers face in Teaching Science: 

1.  Safety Concerns

This is the primary concern of a Science teacher whenever we teach the subject that requires practical activities. In the subject like Chemistry, the use of Laboratory is really needed and it is the utmost concern of teachers to organize things and make the experiment or any laboratory activity safe for all.  While some science laboratories are equipped with safety features like ventilation and washing area, there is still a concern that students will not follow directions and harm themselves or others. Therefore, science teachers must always be aware of everything that is happening in their rooms during labs. 

2.  Touching Controversial Topics

It is unavoidable to touch controversial issues connecting to our subject matter. Science opens the world for our students or learners, and because of that, they have a lot of avenues to connect it with their curiosity. Well, science teachers appreciate it a lot, but a science teacher must have a holistic and objective approach to answer controversial questions. 

it is important that the teacher has a plan and knowledge in some topics such as evolution, cloning, reproduction, and more.

3.  Knowledge vs. Understanding

Most teachers fall into a trap of "parrot style" in science teaching. In other words, other teachers teach science into a memorization subject matter. We can root it from the lack of time and opportunity of teachers to use tools that can justify their lessons but science is far more than memorizing facts but more on the application of science processes. This is the challenge of Science teachers to promote understanding in science and not just a piece of mere knowledge.

4. Time-Consuming Planning Requirements

The Science class should be really planned. The use of the laboratory and field studies should be well drafted and planned. The challenge is that some science teachers have less time to grade during the working hours or teaching hours and they often found themselves struggling with school paper works than planning with activities.

5.  Time Constraints

This is a real challenge! Most of the Experiments cannot just be constrained in just 60 minutes, this has an effect on the monitoring and instructions. Students were left unfinished in their works or we're pushed to perform the experiment after the class or in their home. This really calls for deep planning and instructions.

6.  Cost Limitations

Let us face it, we lack the budget for science laboratory apparatus which are globally competent. Not because we do not want or need it, but because of a lack of budget. Some pieces of equipment are so costly. Due to this, science teachers are using their creativity to improvise or recycle things for lab use.

7.  Facilities Limitations

Aside from the cost, some physical facilities can be limited. Most, if not all,  science-related facilities are now aging or non-appropriate. The science rooms should be wide and clean. Some facilities such as whiteboard, television sets, computers, or smart boards are not that easy to provide. Further, some rooms are set up in such a way that it is actually difficult for all students to effectively participate in labs, and in some public schools, laboratories are being used as a classroom. 

8.  Prerequisite Information

Here is another challenge! Science teachers are so energetic and enthusiastic about the subject but without the prerequisite knowledge, it is hard for learners to digest the subject matter. In some cases, chemistry and physics both require strong math and particularly algebra skills. When students are placed in their class without these prerequisites, science teachers find themselves teaching not only their topic but also the prerequisite math and princeples required for it.

9.  Collaboration vs. Individual Grades

teachers are so particular with individual works, but science needs a process of collaboration for some lessons that need laboratory activity. Therefore, science teachers are faced with the issue of how to assign individual grades for these assignments. This can sometimes be very difficult. It is important for the teacher to be as fair as possible so implementing a form of individual and group evaluations is an important tool in giving out fair grades to students.

10.  Students are not performing or participating in science activities

This is a difficult challenge when your students are not even paying attention to science, it may not be because of the subject but due to some special cases in the home or environment. If the student is absent, the teacher will have difficulty in recording performance. many laboratory activities are difficult to repeat with other students due to time. instead, the teacher is just giving an alternative work. However, this provides the student with much less of a learning experience.

These are the personal challenges of a science teacher like me and perhaps, other science teachers here in the Philippines. Indeed, science is important both as a subject and as practical competencies to be used by our students in their day to day lives. These challenges should be overcome to make our Science teaching of higher quality. 

_John Derson Herbolario
_Nosred