Abstract:

This study investigated teachers' perceptions of improvising molecular models in secondary school classes in Angola. The aim was to find out teachers' perceptions after improvising molecular models. The use of molecular models in education has the potential to help students understand complex chemistry concepts by allowing a more hands-on and visual approach. However, it is important to understand teachers' opinions and beliefs regarding this pedagogical approach to promote its effective and successful implementation.
The sample was composed of 16 secondary school chemistry teachers who answered a questionnaire that was administered before and after a workshop that served as an intervention. The t-test and correlation analysis were used for data analysis. The results of the t-test revealed that there was a statistically significant difference in teaching quality between the two groups (before intervention vs. after intervention), with a p-value of 0.0003.
Teachers showed better performance after the intervention compared to before the intervention, demonstrating that improvisation can be an effective tool to improve the quality of education in Angola.
Correlation analysis showed that understanding the atom and the process of building molecular models are moderately correlated (r=0.69, difficulty in using improvised materials and interest in improvising are negatively correlated (r=-0.7), and teachers' underload is positively correlated with teachers' apathy to improvise (r=0.6). The findings of this study highlight the importance of providing adequate support for teachers regarding improvisation in Angola.
This study contributes to existing knowledge about the use of improvised teaching materials in developing countries, providing empirical evidence of their positive impact on teaching practice.

Keywords:

Teachers' perception, Improvisation, chemistry teaching, secondary education, Angola.