Teachers Discuss How to Improve STEM Studies

By David Nyanor Takyi And Malisa Tetteh

A day's workshop aimed at encouraging teachers to expose students to the practical aspects of Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) was held in Accra last Thursday.

It was on a theme, 'Practical STEM education in the Ghanaian classroom, its impact and the way forward.'

The deliberations were on the state of the educational system in the country and how teaching and learning could be improved in schools.

It was organised by the Practical and Educational Network (PEN) in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service (GES) and other development partners to equip teachers with hands-on experiences to match the current syllabus using local materials.

Mr Anis Haffar, Chief Executive Officer of the Gifted and Talented Education Institute (GATE) in a side-line interview called for a leaning environment to bring students closer to their communities.

According to him, it was imperative for teachers to update their style of teaching to prepare students to meet the demands of the modern era.

"We must have an environment that provokes students to probe and think critically to solve problems in their communities, that is why teachers must be encouraged," he said.

He called for more collaborative engagement with teachers across the countries to share their experiences and come out with ways to bring out the best out of the students.

Mr Jacob Bab, a researcher, presenting findings made by the Minchigan Technological University on the Ghanaian Junior High School teachers and students indicated that only 14 per cent of schools without hands-on training had chances of prevailing academically, while 28 per cent of schools would prevail with hands-on training.

Making recommendations from the study he indicated that the way forward was to train every STEM teacher in the country, further training workshops in schools and universities as well as an introduction of practical examinations in schools.

For his part, Andrews K. Quaning, the Director of Science and Educational Unit of the GES, expressed optimism in the change of the educational curricular to enhance better understanding of students.

According to him, the new curriculum would enhance students' performance outcomes in the Basic Education and Certificate Exams (BECE) and West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

Read Full Story