In collaboration with International Science, Technology and Innovation Centre (ISTIC), Centre for Development and Empowerment of Teacher and Education Personnel (CDETEP) in Science, SEAMEO Regional Centre for Science and Mathematics (SEAMEO RECSAM), and La Main a la Pate (LAMAP) Foundation, SEAMEO QITEP in Science conducted a training workshop for teacher trainers from Asia-Pacific countries. This training workshop was the second instalment, following the success of the same program last year.
As the title suggests, this training workshop focused on teaching science using the inquiry approach, and therefore, hands-on activities were the main activities during the program. The facilitators for this program were experts from the LAMAP foundation, Mourgues Francis and Merigeau Karine, and Specialist from SEAMEO RECSAM, Dr Koay Suan See. The participants of the training were teachers and science educators from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Fiji, and Tonga. Some of the participants were the alumni of the previous workshop.
The objectives of the programs were to develop participants’ skills to (1) Recognise the importance of inquiry-based science education (IBSE) in teaching science; (2) Recognise the philosophy and ten principles of La main à la pâte; (3) Experience the process of inquiry-based science teaching and learning; (4) Develop an action plan for disseminating and sharing of experiences on La main à la pâte with colleagues and teachers in their respective home countries; and (5) Define the roles of trainers and resource persons in operationalising La main à la pâte in home countries.
After the five-day training workshop, the participants also attended a day workshop organised by the Centre and Australian Academy of Technological Science and Engineering (ATSE), an independent body of more than 800 Australian scientists and engineers seeking to enhance Australia’s prosperity through technological innovation. During the workshop, the participants tested science kits provided by the Science and Technology Education Leveraging Relevance (STELR) guided by Peter Pentland and Dr Gregory Smith, experts of ATSE.
After participating in the programs, the participants are expected to disseminate the knowledge and skills they gained, and meet the objectives of the program.
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