Perception of Practical Activities by Chemistry Teachers

The purpose of "practical work" in chemistry lessons as perceived by teachers varies and does not always correspond with an emphasis on procedural learning. Teachers project various objectives in them. These activities have various characteristics and potential. The goal of this study is to find out the set of characteristics of practical activities in chemistry lessons as perceived by teachers. We identify and characterize the diversity of the sets of participants' perspectives across a given topic. Q-methodology was used to investigate the perspectives of 33 chemistry teachers regarding practical activities in chemistry lessons. The teachers ranked and sorted 61 statements about practical activities according to their preferences. The analysis showed three sets of perspectives: (Factor 1)focusing on experience with phenomena, (Factor 2)the teacher is in control, and (Factor 3)focusing on the process of learning. Based on the results, the study addresses some issues that need to be communicated with the teachers and their educators.