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Physical Sciences teachers’ awareness of science anxiety among Physical Sciences learners
Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613739853807616 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Schreuder, Lana Hilda |
| author2 | Le Grange, Lesley |
| author_browse | Le Grange, Lesley Schreuder, Lana Hilda |
| author_facet | Le Grange, Lesley Schreuder, Lana Hilda |
| author_sort | Schreuder, Lana Hilda |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132004 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:40:56.191Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132004 Physical Sciences teachers’ awareness of science anxiety among Physical Sciences learners Schreuder, Lana Hilda Le Grange, Lesley Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Department of Curriculum Studies. Science -- Study and teaching (Secondary) Physical sciences -- Study and teaching (Secondary) Science teachers -- Attitudes Science -- Psychological aspects Students -- Psychology Teacher-student relationships Educational psychology UCTD Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: There is a growing emphasis on increasing the number of learners studying subjects in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). With Physical Sciences being an optional subject in the Further Education and Training (FET) phase, it is interesting to see that the number of learners choosing the subject in high school is not increasing rapidly. Academic anxiety has been identified as a contributing factor to the challenges arising in the teaching and learning of Physical Sciences. Teachers in the field experience learners showing signs of anxiety before or during an examination, or they start with a positive attitude towards Physical Sciences in Grade 10 but cease to display the necessary resilience to want to continue with the subject into Grade 11 or 12. Teachers are likely only to observe anxiety among learners while already employed full-time and working as teachers, and even then, often learners’ anxiety goes undetected as science teachers may not always recognise learners’ emotional turmoil. This study aimed to investigate Physical Sciences teachers’ perspectives on science anxiety among learners taking Physical Sciences as a subject. The literature review revealed numerous factors that contribute to learners’ anxiety, as well as possible reasons for learners experiencing anxiety. However, the literature fails to elaborate on teachers’ experiences and perspectives on learners’ anxiety. With this in mind, the focus of the study was to determine how aware Physical Sciences teachers are of learners’ anxiety, what they experience as the possible reasons behind it, and what they can do to support learners. A mixed-method approach was followed in this study. In Phase one of the study, quantitative data collection methods were used to measure learners’ anxiety towards Physical Sciences in general and a formal assessment in Physical Sciences. This was followed by a second qualitative phase, where the results from the quantitative approach were used to design interview questions for Physical Sciences teachers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to investigate teachers’ perspectives on learner anxiety and its possible reasons. The findings of this study show that learners do display signs of anxiety towards Physical Sciences as a subject, and more so when it comes to completing a formal assessment of the subject. Furthermore, it showed that teachers are indeed aware of learner anxiety in Physical Sciences, and they have extensive ideas about the reasons behind learners’ anxiety in the subject. Teachers also implement strategies in their classroom practice to support learners and to help reduce their anxiety towards the subject, but more can be done to create awareness about learner anxiety in Physical Sciences and to equip teachers with skills to implement support strategies in their daily practice. The findings highlight important implications for practice for teachers and the broader parent community, as the ultimate goal is to teach and support learners about reflecting on and dealing with their own anxiety to enhance their teaching and learning experiences. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Daar word tans toenemend klem gelê op die vermeerdering van leerders wat vakke in die wetenskap-, tegnologie-, ingenieurswese- en wiskundevelde studeer. Met Fisiese Wetenskappe as ʼn keusevak in die Verdere Onderwys- en Opleidingsfase (VOO), is dit egter opmerklik dat die getal leerders wat die vak op hoërskool kies, nie drasties toeneem nie. Akademiese angs is al geïdentifiseer as ʼn bydraende faktor tot die uitdagings in die onderrig en leer van Fisiese Wetenskappe. Onderwysers ondervind dat leerders tekens van angs voor of gedurende ʼn eksamen toon, of dat leerders aanvanklik ʼn positiewe gesindheid teenoor Fisiese Wetenskappe het, maar nie die nodige veerkragtigheid toon om in Graad 11 of 12 met die vak aan te gaan nie. Onderwysers sal waarskynlik eers angs onder leerders waarneem wanneer hulle voltyds as onderwysers werk en, selfs dan, word leerders se angs soms nie waargeneem nie omdat wetenskaponderwysers nie altyd die emosionele onderstrominge herken nie. Die doel van hierdie studie was om Fisiese Wetenskappe-onderwysers se perspektiewe van angs onder hul leerders te ondersoek. Die literatuuroorsig het verskeie faktore wat bydra tot leerders se angs uitgelig, asook moontlike redes vir leerders se angs, maar die literatuur slaag nie daarin om oor onderwysers se ondervindings van, en perspektiewe oor leerder angs uit te brei nie. Die fokus van dié studie is dus om te bepaal tot watter mate Fisiese Wetenskappe-onderwysers bewus is van leerders se angs, wat hulle vermoed die moontlike redes daarvoor is, asook wat hulle kan doen om leerders te ondersteun. ʼn Gemengde navorsingsbenadering is in hierdie studie gevolg. In fase een van die studie is kwantitatiewe data-invorderingsmetodes gebruik om leerders se angs teenoor Fisiese Wetenskappe in die algemeen, asook teenoor formele assessering in Fisiese Wetenskappe, te meet. Dit is opgevolg deur ʼn kwalitatiewe, tweede fase waar die resultate van die kwantitatiewe benadering gebruik is om onderhoudsvrae vir Fisiese Wetenskappe onderwysers daar te stel. Semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude is gehou om onderwysers se perspektiewe oor leerder angs en die moontlike redes daarvoor, te ondersoek. Die bevindinge in hierdie studie toon dat leerders wel tekens van angs teenoor Fisiese Wetenskappe as vak toon, en selfs meer wanneer dit by die voltooiing van ʼn formele assessering in die vak kom. Verder toon bevindinge dat onderwysers wel van leerder angs in Fisiese Wetenskappe bewus is en dat hulle omvangryke idees oor die redes daarvoor het. Onderwysers implementeer ook strategieë in hulle klaskamer om leerders te ondersteun en te help om hul angs teenoor die vak te verminder, desnieteenstaande kan daar meer gedoen word om ʼn bewustheid van leerder angs in Fisiese Wetenskappe te kweek en om onderwysers toe te rus met vaardighede wat hulle kan implementeer in hulle daaglikse praktyk. Die bevindinge bevat belangrike implikasies vir die onderwyspraktyk, maar ook vir die breër ouergemeenskap, aangesien die uiteindelike doel is om leerders te leer en te ondersteun om oor hulle angs te reflekteer en dit te hanteer met die uiteindelike doel om hulle onderrig- en leerondervinding te bevorder. Masters 2025-05-16T06:21:11Z 2025-05-16T06:21:11Z 2025-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132004 en_ZA Stellenbosch University 231 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Science -- Study and teaching (Secondary) Physical sciences -- Study and teaching (Secondary) Science teachers -- Attitudes Science -- Psychological aspects Students -- Psychology Teacher-student relationships Educational psychology UCTD Schreuder, Lana Hilda Physical Sciences teachers’ awareness of science anxiety among Physical Sciences learners |
| title | Physical Sciences teachers’ awareness of science anxiety among Physical Sciences learners |
| title_full | Physical Sciences teachers’ awareness of science anxiety among Physical Sciences learners |
| title_fullStr | Physical Sciences teachers’ awareness of science anxiety among Physical Sciences learners |
| title_full_unstemmed | Physical Sciences teachers’ awareness of science anxiety among Physical Sciences learners |
| title_short | Physical Sciences teachers’ awareness of science anxiety among Physical Sciences learners |
| title_sort | physical sciences teachers awareness of science anxiety among physical sciences learners |
| topic | Science -- Study and teaching (Secondary) Physical sciences -- Study and teaching (Secondary) Science teachers -- Attitudes Science -- Psychological aspects Students -- Psychology Teacher-student relationships Educational psychology UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132004 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT schreuderlanahilda physicalsciencesteachersawarenessofscienceanxietyamongphysicalscienceslearners |