ABSTRACT
A plethora of literature has reported that hands-on and minds-on practical activities are central during teaching and learning processes. Yet, it appears that such activities are not enacted in most Namibian rural schools. Arguably, reason most cited amongst many teachers is that there is a lack of resources to do practical activities, especially in under-resourced rural schools. It is against this backdrop that the purpose of this study was to explore the use of easily accessible resources in carrying out hands-on and minds-on practical activities with a view to reduce reluctance or increase self-efficacy and motivation by science teachers to include these in science lessons. A case study approach underpinned by an interpretive paradigm was adopted. The study was conducted with 21 in-service science teachers from mostly rural schools in Namibia who were all on a two-year part-time BEd (Honours) programme delivered by a South African university in the Eastern Cape. Workshop discussions, worksheets and mind maps, observations, semi-structured interviews and teacher reflections were used to generate data. Vygotsky’s socio-cultural theory was used as a theoretical framework to analyse the qualitative data generated. The findings of the study revealed that for teachers to use easily accessible resources to carry out hands-on and minds-on practical activities in their science classrooms, they need the knowledge and exposure on how to use these resources. The findings thus showed that this interventionist study raised motivation, knowledge and the skills of the science teacher participants to include practical activities in their science lessons, using easily accessible resources in particular. The implication is that if teachers are afforded opportunities, through professional learning communities, to themselves engage in hands-on and minds-on practical activities using easily accessible resources, they can be enabled and motivated to enact these in their science classrooms.
