EFFECTS OF TEACHERS’ EPISTEMOLOGICAL, HEALTH VIEW AND PEDAGOGICAL BELIEFS ON THE DIDACTIC STRATEGY TO TEACH ADOLESCENT REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH - A CAMEROONIAN PERSPECTIVE

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Aditya

Despite the recommended didactic strategy for teaching Adolescent Reproductive Health in Cameroon through a Competency Based Approach and problem-situation entry, biology teachers still show notable resistance in this multicultural, multilingual context. This cross-sectional study uses Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) with a purposeful and convenient sample of 373 in-service biology secondary school teachers. Research instrument validity and reliability are assessed via Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis. A tested SEM model shows a reasonable overall fit. Authority and fixed-knowledge beliefs strongly increase biomedical health views and traditional teaching, but reduce contemporary didactic strategy use, while criticism of authority and tentative-knowledge beliefs align with constructivist methods and broader biopsychosocial views.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction and Research Question

Method

EFFECTS OF TEACHERS’ EPISTEMOLOGICAL, HEALTH VIEW AND PEDAGOGICAL BELIEFS ON THE DIDACTIC STRATEGY TO TEACH ADOLESCENT REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH: A CAMEROONIAN PERSPECTIVE Lawrence Ntam Nchia, Tamesse L. Joseph, George Epah Fonkeng, George Nditafon Ngeh Abstract: Despite the recommended didactic strategy to teach Adolescent Reproductive Health in Cameroon using Competency Based Approach with entry through problem situations, a lot of resistance is till observed within biology teachers in this multicultural and linguistic country. This cross sectional study uses Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) techniques to investigate factor that might facilitate or inhibit the effective implementation of this reforms using a purposeful and convenient sample comprised of 373 In-service Biology secondary school teachers. The validity and reliability of our research instrument was investigated and confirmed using Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Thereafter, a hypothesised SEM model was conceptualised and tested. The model provided a reasonable good overall fit. Teachers’ belief in authority and knowledge as unchanging has a strong positive direct effect on their Biomedical Health view and on the use of traditional teaching method but a negative direct effect on using contemporary didactic strategy. Contrarily, Teachers who criticize authority and belief in knowledge as tentative equally developed Biopsychosocial Health view which correlates strongly with Constructivist teaching method that positively influences the use of these didactic strategies. This can serve as a candidate theory for further investigation. It could have implication in the development of psychosocial competences in learners and in the training ofARH educators. Key words: Adolescent Reproductive Health; Didactic strategies; Structural Equation Modelling: Epistemology; and Health View. 1. Introduction and Research Question Teaching Controversial Socio Scientific Issues linked to adolescent reproductive health such as HIV/AIDS prevention, abortion, sexual orientation, sex abuses, contraceptive use, and paedophilia have given rise to differing opinion and solutions from the different stakeholders of education in Cameroon, especially given its socio-cultural, geographical, ethnic and linguistic diversity with English and French as official languages and two educational subsystems inherited from her colonial masters (Britain and France) . The two educational subsystems are different in structure, content and certification. However, the Education Forum of 1995 came out with Law No.98/004/ of 14th April 1998 to lay down guidelines for education in Cameroon, which state in Section 4 that: “the general goal of education is to train children for their intellectual, physical, civic and moral development and their smooth integration into society bearing in mind the prevailing economic, socio-cultural, political and moral factors”. In line with this educational goal, the teaching of Biology and SVT in secondary schools in Cameroon has as main objective; “to develop a scientific spirit in learners, help them acquire not only theoretical knowledge, but aptitude and responsible attitude towards health, reproduction, environment and life”, as stated in Ministerial Decision No. 114/B1/1464/MINEDUC/SG/IGP/ESG of 18 March 2002. The 2012 Biology syllabus according to the Competency Based Approach divides Biology into three main modules: The Living World; Health Education; and Environmental Education. Given that the teachers are from diversified pedagogic, religious and socio-cultural background and also that the teaching of Adolescent Reproductive Health (ARH) will require the mobilization of interdisciplinary, scientific and ethical reasoning, and a specific didactic situation and strategies (Simonneaux L., 2000), this research intend to find out if the didactic strategy the teachers use are influenced by their epistemological beliefs, health views and pedagogic co

FAQs

What main objective does the study examine?

It investigates how teachers’ epistemological beliefs, health views, and pedagogical beliefs influence the didactic strategies used to teach adolescent reproductive health in Cameroon.

How is the data analysis conducted in this research?

The study applies Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) using a two-step process: measurement model evaluation with Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis, followed by structural model testing of hypothesised relationships.

How do teachers’ beliefs about authority and knowledge affect teaching choices?

Belief in authority and fixed knowledge has a strong positive direct effect on biomedical health views and on the use of traditional teaching methods, but it negatively affects the use of contemporary didactic strategies.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Aditya