DEMYSTIFY SCIENCE RELATED SUBJECTS

Students doing an experiment

By Felix Schmermer

Science teachers in the basic schools in Ghana have been urged to demystify science related subjects in order to encourage more pupils to learn the subjects with ease.

The Member of Parliament for Cape Coast, Hon. Ebo Barton Odro made this known at a two day workshop for science teachers in both central and western regions. It was on the topic “Enhancing Learning of Physics-Towards Professional development of the Physic Teacher”.

Integrated Science, especially physics, is for most people a very mysterious and complicated subject. Words like Voltage Transistor or wavelength are foreign and their meaning not easily explainable, but there are people who are very familiar with those words because they are part of their daily work. These people are physics teachers. Even though these people are very experienced in the field of physics and teaching physics there is still a lot to learn about new methods of teaching and the very fast development of physics. To give those selected people the chance to further their skills, The United Kingdom Institute of Physics has organized the first workshop for physics teachers at the Community Science Resource Center in Cape Coast. 

Hon. Ebo Barton Odro

To share that memorable event, officials were invited, among them Nana Eyimfa, Hon. Ebo Barton Odro, Mr. Roger Green and others. All of them saw the need in expanding science education and bringing it to young students to awake their passion for science. By bringing science to the basic schools, young students’ interest in science will continue throughout their whole school career. Science and physics are also connected to the development of Ghana, and that is also one reason why science skills and teaching physics are important for Ghana.

Mr Roger Green, representative of The United Kingdom Institute of Physics, mentioned the good and still further developing collaboration between the IOP and Ghana Education Service. He also stressed the point of how important practical work is for teaching. Theory is the basic of every work in the field of physic but experiments and practical work will bring the students closer to the science and their use in even daily situations. Discussion and the exchange about the experiments and the topic of science among the students show their great interest, and are also a great source of new knowledge. That opinion was shared by every other speaker this afternoon. Hon. Ebo Barton also mentioned the important role of Cape Coast as an education Center or the Oxford of Ghana, thereby it is necessary to constantly further the skills of teachers to do justice to that title.

More students doing experiments

The teachers were educated in setting up experiments in every field of physics and how to combine those experiments with the needed theory. They were also provided with knowledge how to connect physics to reality with easy daily examples and the advice to reduce the abstract working in books. With the constant advancing of technology in daily life, like mobile phones and computers, the need of capable physics teachers to explain these complex topics to young people is very urgent. With continued support from companies like ITECH the class rooms will be supplied with the very important equipment for the experiments to help the young students to understand physics.

After this workshop the teacher should be able to transfer their desire and knowledge of physics to their students. Nevertheless these teachers must have the commitment to transfer their newly owned teaching skills to their classrooms. To end with the word of Nana Eyimfa: ‘After the workshop every teacher should be a worthy ambassador of science’.