an innovative approach

discussion. “The teacher always described everything…and I tried to follow him by
[silently] answering his questions in my mind…, I sometimes taught my friends if they
could not follow him or didn’t understand…and I attempted to seek out the [other]
textbooks for developing the understanding by myself.”
The observation and interviews also indicated that the students
seriously respected to higher authority i.e. the teacher. They did not appear to be
convinced to share their ideas without teacher’s facilitation. What they appeared to
do was silently questioning in mind and observing what was going on in the
classroom.
5.6) Principle VI: Encouraging Students to Participate in Learning
Activities
Students’ engaging in thinking what to do, inside and outside period,
other than students’ passively listening to teacher’s lecture was expected by this
study. The students were also expected to form a meaningful learning of studying
photosynthesis in classroom. What the teacher had done basing on this principle was
described.
5.6.1) Mr. Vyn’s Practices on Principle VI
Mr. Vyn had much business of teaching other subjects e.g. Grade
7 science and the Scout Association (see Section 1.5). Observation and interview
indicated that his teaching appeared to emphasize lecturing. This was expected to
cover teaching all photosynthesis concepts before the school mid-term examination
started. Encouraging students’ participation in biology learning activities was rarely
found in the classroom. He accepted that his teaching might less encourage the
participation because the school events forced him to finish teaching about
photosynthesis rapidly.
183