Microscience kits ‘important to expand interest’ in subject, education officer argues
The decision to introduce the microscience
kit within the school system in 2016 was to increase the number of students
participating in the subject, says Assistant Chief Education Officer and
Natural Science Coordinator in the Ministry of Education Sadpha Bennett.
Addressing a recent JIS ‘Think Tank’, Mr.
Bennett noted that findings from a comprehensive survey undertaken in 2014
cited inadequate laboratory space as the most significant factor that was
affecting the number of students doing science or showing an interest in the
subject.
“The decision to implement that approach in
schools is also in line with Jamaica’s National Development Goals, and Vision
2030 that speaks to a technologically oriented society, which means that every
child should have a rounded experience in science,” he said.
Bennett pointed out that teachers in
training at several teachers’ colleges are now being exposed to the
microscience approach.
“What this means is that at the tertiary
level, we are able to impact the new teachers leaving college, ready to
interface with students using microscience as a tool for teaching,” he
said.
“While we continue to work with the
in-service teachers, we are building the capacity of teachers, who will be
ready to use microscience, and this is a significant advancement and
improvement in terms of the sustainability and future of microscience in our
schools,” Bennett added.
The new approach to teaching science was
implemented as a pilot project in 14 secondary schools across the island.
Microscience is a practical method for the
delivery of science subjects using inexpensive microscience kits along with
supporting student and teacher manuals that allow teachers to teach science
from any national curriculum.
The kits, which are alternatives to
laboratories, are compact and portable, and consist of miniature apparatus
specific to the science subjects – Chemistry, Biology and Physics.
They come at a lower cost, approximately $2,500.00 (US$20.00) each, and with greater safety than the traditional laboratory-centred approach.
Currently, the findings from the 2016 pilot project are now being evaluated, and should be released soon.
