(Published - 21 June 2019)

More than 200 teachers are expected to attend a mini-conference on 24 June 2019 at the University’s Senate Hall. At the same time a three day parallel teacher training workshop - for natural and physical sciences teachers - will be held at the Department of Physics and Astronomy building.

The events are born out of a partnership between UWC, the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, the Western Cape Department of Education and the University of Missouri in the United States.

According to Dr Mark Herbert, from the Department of Physics and Astronomy at UWC, the project aims to increase the critical mass of learners that are needed in the Sciences, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) sector in South Africa. It will also prepare youngsters for the Fourth Industrial Revolution by improving their physics content knowledge and help teachers with pedagogical skills.

“The intention is to increase learners’ interest, participation and success in the subjects with a focus on empowering  them with the skills for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, such as technology aptitude, communication, team work, creativity  and problem solving, and critical thinking through Modeling Instruction Pedagogy (MI).”

Dr Herbert said this project is the first of its kind in the Western Cape.

“This intervention will deliver physics content from a disciplinary perspective with the modeling teaching pedagogy which emphasises the practices of scientists and how scientific knowledge is constructed,” he explained.

He added that leadership skills will be built through mentoring, research and practice-based learning that includes comprehensive physics content, pedagogy, research and evaluation.

For further information contact Gasant Abarder on +27 83 294 6097 or gabarder@uwc.ac.za