Gender Differences in Teachers' Improvisation Knowledge, Implementation Challenges, and Pedagogical Impact

Abstract

In places where resources are limited, teachers often need to improvise to teach science. This study investigates gender disparities in primary school teachers' ability to employ improvisation approaches in scientific instruction in the Zabzugu District of Ghana. A quantitative descriptive survey methodology was employed to choose 196 primary school teachers by stratified random sampling. Data were gathered using a structured questionnaire and subsequently analysed using descriptive statistics and independent-samples t-tests. The results showed that both males and females were about equally familiar with improvisation techniques. However, male teachers were far more excited about improvisation, while female teachers reported using improvised materials more often to teach science topics. There were no major differences between male and female teachers in the problems they encountered during implementation, but male teachers consistently believed that improvisation had a greater effect on student learning and engagement. These findings underscore a nuanced interaction among gender, perception, and practice in improvisation, emphasising the need for customised professional development programmes to address gender-specific strengths and challenges. The study advocates gender-sensitive teacher training and educational policy to improve science education in resource-limited settings.