Practices and Challenges of Teachers in Teaching Science Online

Educational disruption brought by this pandemic changed the practices and challenged teachers and students to navigate the new learning landscape. This descriptive research study determined the practices and challenges of science teachers in teaching amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 54 science teachers in Zambales, Philippines, responded to the researcher-made Practices and Challenges of Science Teachers Questionnaire (PCSTQ). Results revealed that science teachers use printed modules in their classes as a learning delivery modality. They often employ varied science teaching strategies, utilize assessment strategies and incorporate technology integration in teaching during educational disruption. They frequently encounter challenges in academic workload, laboratory experimentation, and physical infrastructures, while they sometimes face challenges regarding digital infrastructure, instructional resources, digital competence, and assessment and supervision. There are significant differences in the teachers' teaching strategies by trainings and technology integration practices by trainings and modality used. Furthermore, there are significant differences in the challenges in instructional resources, physical infrastructure, digital competence, and academic workload by years in service; challenges in digital competence by zone; and challenges in academic workload by age. The paper discusses the implications of the study on pedagogy, policy, and practice. Additionally, it contributes to the limited literature on science teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic by describing the challenges and practices of teachers in this context.