Abstract

• This paper intended to study the knowledge level of lower secondary science teachers, to study the empowerment level of lower secondary science teachers, to investigate the variation of science teaching practices in terms of teacher empowerment levels, and to develop the teacher empowerment model for improving teaching practices of lower secondary science teachers in Yangon Region. Quantitative and qualitative research methods were used. A set of questionnaire to collect the required data was developed based on School Participant Empowerment Scale (SPES) of Short and Rinehart (1992). The reliability coefficient (Cronbach ) was 0.98 for the teacher empowerment questionnaire and 0.87 for science teaching practice questionnaire which was developed based on literature. Three hundred and twenty lower secondary science teachers were selected by using the cluster sampling method. The descriptive statistics was used to analyze the collected data. The level of knowledge (satisfactory level, Mean=10.42, SD=2.17), empowerment (somewhat empowerment level, Mean=2.96, SD=.42) and teaching practice (moderately high level, Mean=3.87, SD=.54) that perceived by teachers and the relationship between empowerment and teaching practice were identified in this study. There was a typical association between science teachers’ empowerment and science teachers’ teaching practice (r=0.430, p<.01). Professional development and autonomy could be identified as the best predictors of science teaching practice in lower secondary level (R2=.22, F(5,314)=17.65). Qualitative findings also suggested that the higher the teacher empowerment level of science teachers, the better the teaching practice of science teachers. Finally, the teacher empowerment model for improving teaching practices of lower secondary science teachers could be developed