Physics teachers’ instructional practices in Malaysian schools

Physics is often labelled as a difficult and boring subject to be learnt at school. An appropriate teaching method is important to attract students to get involved in this subject, as well as to change their negative perceptions. The purpose of this study was to examine the current physics teachers’ instructional practices in Malaysian secondary schools, particularly in determining how urban physics teachers’ methods differ from rural teachers’. Respondents involved consist of eight physics teachers (four from urban schools and four from rural schools) who are currently teaching the subject of physics at the form four and form five levels at schools in the northern peninsular states of Malaysia. Date was collected through classroom observations with the teachers individually, and were then analysed qualitatively. Results obtained show that the teaching practices employed by these teachers were still very much bounded by conventional teaching methods.