Abstract:

This article investigates the effectiveness of the use of practical work to teach electric circuits in grade 10. The author is driven by the National Diagnostic Report for grade 12 for the past five years which shows that learners are not doing well on practical-based questions on electric circuits. Two grade 10 classes participate in the research; one as a control group consisting of 5 learners and the other as an experimental group with a total of 5 learners. Data is collected using a mixed methods coupled with two different instruments, questionnaires and interviews. The findings reveal that practical approach to teaching electric circuits results in learners achieving higher marks in tests compared to the class where purely theoretical approach is adopted. The study also highlights that learners express a better gratitude for being hands-on in the Physical Sciences classroom as they perceive that this activity improves their understanding and achievement in Physical Sciences tests and examinations. This article recommends a greater integration of practical work during teaching which could lead to a positive effect on Physical Sciences results in the Eastern Cape Province. Greater involvement of learners through practical work can help learners to understand better practical-based questions on electric circuits and might also assist as a teaching strategy to improve learning in other areas of the curriculum.

Keywords:

Electric circuits, Practical work, Science Education, Physical Sciences, Rural schools.