COVID-19 Pandemic as A Catalyst for Fostering Reformed Pedagogy in Science Education

The study examined the role of COVID-19 pandemic as a catalyst for fostering reformed pedagogy in science education within the South African context. The prevalence of COVID-19 pandemic compelled teachers as key agents of educational change to fundamentally rethink their pedagogical practices with a view to bring about reformed pedagogy. The study adopted a phenomenological design located within the critical paradigm. The empirical investigation involved 21 purposively selected in-service science teachers enrolled for postgraduate studies in science education at a South African university. Critical theory was adopted as a theoretical lens to provide insightful elucidation into how science teachers negotiated and transformed their pedagogical practices in response to the formidable challenges posed by COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic critically exposed socio-economic disparities in science teaching and learning within the broader South African context. Under-resourced schools represented inappropriate educational entities which rendered encouragement of critical thinking and promotion of innovative pedagogical practices extremely difficult to realize. Science teachers at under-resourced schools were largely left to their own devices when navigating formidable challenges posed by the prevalence of COVID-19 pandemic. This dilemma represents a structural problem that ought to be addressed as a matter of priority in order to ensure social justice in terms of the creation of conducive teaching and learning environments at under-resourced schools in particular. Meaningful transformation of pedagogy remains an arduous task in the face of fundamental challenges afflicting teacher professional growth and its ramifications.