GAST urged to adopt innovative methods of teaching science
Members of the Ghana Association of Science Teachers (GAST) have been called to use their 60th Anniversary celebration to stimulate productive discussions and come up with innovative methods of teaching science and technology subjects.
The call to adopt modern pedagogies, if adhered to, is expected to push forward the frontiers of science and technology education in Ghana by producing the next generation of problem solvers who are not rote learners.
Innovative ways of teaching and learning science and technology has been identified as the surest method that would help science education and reposition Ghana towards faster growth to achieve higher middle income.
Dr Paul Kwame Nkegbe, the Faculty of Integrated Development Studies, University for Development Studies (UDS) Wa campus, said this during GAST 60th Anniversary Conference in Wa, the Upper West Regional capital.
He told GAST members to adopt project-based approach of teaching and learning of science and technology, saying: “The approach is seen as a dynamic student-centered pedagogy”.
It presents students with the rare opportunity to explore and find solutions to real-world problems.
He also suggested the use of multimedia technology, mind maps, teaching and learning with sense of humour, effective demonstration using local languages understood by students and hand-on practice
Role play and scenario analysis based teaching and Z-A approach were equally identified as some of the innovative ways GAST could adopt to improve teaching and learning.
Nkegbe said the list was not exhaustive and urge teachers to explore other practical methods in order to reap the full benefit of teaching science and technology subjects.
Rev Thomas Kofi Arboh, the President of GAST, urged the participants to adopt modern teaching techniques so as to impart the right knowledge to students.
He called on the ministries of Education and Science to lead GAST to access funding from science and technology companies for their annual programmes.
“This is necessary because getting direct funding support as an Association from the corporate world is becoming practically impossible,” he said.
Rev Arboh also appealed to government to speed up implementation of the Mobile Science Laboratory programme to boost teaching and learning of science.
He expressed the hope that GAST textbooks to be made compulsory in schools since it is more practical to aid the studies of students.
Source: GNA