Improving Science Process Skills among Science Teachers through Hands-on Experiments

Science process skills are essential for effective science teaching and learning, as they enable teachers and learners to engage in scientific inquiry, observation, experimentation, reasoning, and communication. However, classroom observations indicate that science teachers often face difficulties in translating theoretical concepts into meaningful practical experiences. Limited exposure to experiential and activity-based teaching methods may also affect their competence in conducting hands-on experiments. The present Study was undertaken to examine the effectiveness of hands-on experiments in improving the science process skills of science teachers. A sample of 20 science teachers from government schools in the Perambalur Block was selected using purposive sampling. A single-group pre-test and post-test design was adopted.
The intervention consisted of training sessions and hands-on experimental activities designed to develop six core science process skills: observing, classifying, measuring, inferring, experimenting, and communicating. Data were collected through a science process skills assessment tool administered before and after the intervention. The results showed a clear improvement in all six skills. The overall average score increased from 50% in the pre-test to 90% in the post-test. The highest improvement was observed in observing (+43%), followed by classifying (+44%), measuring (+41%), inferring (+41%), experimenting (+34%), and communicating (+37%). The findings indicate that hands-on experimental activities can provide science teachers with practical opportunities to strengthen their science process skills and enhance their ability to integrate experiential learning into classroom practice. The study suggests that regular hands-on training and activity-based professional development may help teachers bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical science teaching.

Science Process Skills, Hands-on Experiments, Science Teachers, Experiential Learning, Science Education.

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