Abstract

From 2001, the government of Malawi revised the Primary school curriculum through the ‘Primary Curriculum and Assessment Reform’. Group work method was planned in the Social and Environmental Sciences (SES) curriculum to be used persistently as opposed to traditional teacher-centred methods. The purpose of the study was to investigate primary school teachers’ practices of using group work method when teaching SES. This study was informed by Bourdieu’s social field theory as theoretical framework. This study used a qualitative approach and phenomenological research design. Data was generated through semi-structured interviews, lesson observation and document analysis. Eight standard eight primary school teachers of SES were purposively sampled. Data was analysed using a qualitative thematic approach. The study results show that teachers’ practices on the use of group work method involve formation of groups based on size, mixed gender and mixed ability. The practices also involved development of group tasks and organisation of group work activities in the lesson. The teachers’ practices were hindered by limited instructional resources, limited knowledge, English as a medium of instruction and high stakes testing. The results confirm that effective teachers’ practices on group work in SES have the potential to develop citizenship and democratic skills in learners. It can be concluded that teachers’ practices on the use of group work in SES were not done effectively due to deficient knowledge to offset the challenges that affect the use of the method. It can be recommended that teachers should undergo in service training on the use of group work method and improvisation of instructional resources.

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School	: School of Education
Issued Date	: 2016

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