The utilization of appropriate teaching materials is crucial for enhancing students’ engagement and understanding in the complex subjects of physics. Since 2001, although most of the physics laboratories at secondary schools in Afghanistan are well equipped with teaching materials, most of them are still unutilized effectively. The objectives of this research are identifying specific challenges that hinder the proper utilization of teaching materials with their significance, and proposing practical solutions based on the evidence toward relevant educational stakeholders and policymakers to develop awareness for improving the quality of physics education in Afghan secondary schools. Our research employed a mixed-method approach combining quantitative questionnaires and qualitative interviews with secondary school students, physics teachers, lab technicians, and school principals of ten secondary schools. Data collection involved assessing the availability of teaching materials and identifying barriers to their effective utilization. The findings present various problems from different perspectives as follows: the teachers ignore students’ practical activities and prioritize implementation of teacher-based annual plans and completing the curriculum, the lab technicians have heavy busy load of teaching, and the school principals struggle several shifts and lack of budgets at schools. Addressing these issues necessitates effective collaboration among stakeholders to enhance productive learning environment. From our findings, we suggest some practical solutions. These include implementing capacity-building programs for teachers, making each textbook function for one educational year, reducing the workload for lab technicians, and allocating a specific budget for school laboratories by the science center of Ministry of Education.

Authors:
Mohammad Salim Hakimzai, Naruto University of Education, Japan
Yukio Terashima, Naruto University of Education, Japan

About the Presenter(s)
Mr Mohammad Salim Hakimzai is a University Postgraduate Student at Naruto University of Education in Japan

See this presentation on the full schedule – Thursday Schedule

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