Practices Affecting the Science Teachers’ Teaching Performance in Public Junior High Schools

The teaching practices of the Science teachers were determined through their teaching environment and methodology while the teaching performance was assessed through their professional and personal development and dedication to service. The main objective of this study was to determine the extent of relationship between teaching practices and teaching performance.   Two groups of Science teachers – Group A, with purely academic functions and Group B with both academic and administrative functions, were composed. Survey questionnaires on teaching practices – teaching environment and teaching methodology, and teaching performance – professional development, personal development, and dedication to service, were distributed among the 200 students, 40 colleagues, and 10 department heads. The results show that   Group A Science teachers’ teaching practices and teaching performance have moderate to high positive correlations.  Group B Science teachers’ teaching environment has low positive correlation to their dedication to service, moderate positive correlation to professional development, and high positive correlation to personal development.  Group B Science teachers’ teaching methodology has very high positive correlation to their professional development, high positive correlation to personal development, and moderate positive correlation to dedication to service.  Generally, both A and B groups of Science teachers’ teaching practices are positively correlated to teaching performance. Thus, the Science teachers with purely academic functions and Science teachers with both academic and administrative functions as rated by their Students, Colleagues and Department Heads are both showed better teaching performance.