AN INVESTIGATION ON PROBLEMS OF LEARNING PHYSICAL SCIENCE AT SECONDARY LEVEL

The present study focuses on the problems and difficulties faced by the students at secondary level while learning Physical Science during teaching learning process. The study was conducted among thirty (30) class IX students; out of which fifteen (15) were boys and fifteen (15) were girls in a Bengali medium Government aided school. Information was collected by using open ended and close questions through questionnaires from learners and Physical Science teachers. It was found that the large amount of content in the Physical Science syllabus combined with the time available made it hard for learners to fully understand the subject. The syllabus is too vast and remains incomplete within the time given. Learners find difficulties to remember the formulas. Analyzing and solving problems are also a major challenge for learners. In addition, learners lack the mathematical skills to solve problems in Physical Science. The study also shows that other factors such as infrastructure and lack of learning resource are also contributed to these difficulties. Traditional teaching methods such as lecture method and question-answer method are the methods of teaching used by most of the teachers. Many learners belong to average socio-economic backgrounds and also have a lack of support from parents. It is recommended that better teaching methods, proper learning materials and stronger support from parents and schools should be provided. Improved mathematical skills and stronger conceptual understanding must also be focused on to help learners succeed in Physical Science.