Scientific Literacy–Oriented Practices, Pedagogical Orientations, and Instructional Leadership of Master Teachers in Science Education: Basis for Instructional Framework

Abstract

Scientific literacy has become a critical educational goal in science education because people need to use scientific knowledge, evaluate evidence, and make good decisions in a society that changes quickly. Despite reforms that encourage teaching through inquiry and focusing on learners, many science classrooms show different orientations to teaching and leadership practices that can affect the development of scientific literacy. This study aimed to examine the pedagogical orientations, instructional leadership practices, and scientific literacy-oriented practices of Master Teachers in Science Education and to develop a practical framework based on the findings. This study utilized a convergent mixed-methods design involving Science Master Teachers from public elementary and secondary schools in Santa Rosa City Division in Laguna. Quantitative data were collected through structured surveys and analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation, and regression analysis. Qualitative data were collected through answering written open-ended questions and analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings revealed that inquiry-based, constructivist, and learner-centered orientations were more strongly associated with scientific literacy-oriented practices than teacher-centered approaches. Instructional leadership practices, particularly coaching and mentoring, instructional supervision, curriculum support, and monitoring and feedback, were found to contribute significantly to the promotion of scientific literacy-oriented instruction. Qualitative findings further highlighted the importance of contextual support, collaborative leadership, and reflective teaching practices in enhancing science instruction. The study concludes that the integration of learner-centered pedagogical orientations and effective instructional leadership practices strengthens the implementation of scientific literacy-oriented teaching. The proposed Scientific Literacy-Oriented Instructional Framework may serve as a guide for Master Teachers, school leaders, and policymakers in improving science instruction and advancing quality science education.