Abstract

Within the Samoan context, education is seen as critical to furthering the national goal of having sufficient qualified citizens who can create opportunities within an increasingly more technical and market-orientated economy. Science education is seen as playing an important role in this, yet despite significant government investment student continue to experience difficulties due to the language(s) used in the classrooms and eventually, achievement in science continues to be a concern. This research focused on exploring the perspectives and experiences of both teachers and students in Year 7 science classroom in Samoa. The study involved students and teachers from one science classroom from one mission co-educational primary school located in the outskirt of Apia, the capital of Samoa. Participants’ interviews were used to investigate participants’ perspectives and experiences to learning and teaching of science in Samoa. Analysis of both common and distinctive ideas from the teacher and student participants revealed the difficulties that relate to complexities of languages used in the Year 7 science classroom in Samoa. The difficulties included ‘the frequent use of Samoan language’, ‘using English language as the medium of instructions’ as well as the ‘abstract nature of the language of science’. Effective science teaching and learning strategies are needed in primary level in order to overcome the language difficulties that are found in the Year 7 classroom in Samoa.

Keywords: language difficulties, science education, teaching science, learning science.