Physics teachers schooled on effective teaching strategies
Fifty physics tutors from senior high schools (SHS) in the Central Region have attended a workshop on effective ways of teaching the subject.
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The workshop was organised by the Department of Physics Education of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) on the theme, "Innovative teaching strategies to address students’ misconception in Physics", last Wednesday.
The workshop, which was attended by lecturers from the university and tutors from the Central Region, exposed the participants to methodologies of teaching hands-on activity in physics education, improvisation technologies in teaching physics, use of technological tools to manage daily activities in school, differentiated instructions in teaching physics and misconceptions in physics — (density, heat energy, light energy and misconceptions in physics electricity).
Misconceptions
In a speech delivered on his behalf by the former Dean of School of Graduates Studies of the UEW, Professor Samuel Aseidu-Addo, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Mawutor Avoke, said as educators, the university recognised that misconceptions hindered students' learning and impeded their progress.
Prof. Avoke added that the workshop would serve as a catalyst for transformative change in the participants' teaching practices and promote interactive sessions, adding, "We aim to empower educators with the tools necessary to foster a deep understanding of the subject matter among their students.
"Let us seize this opportunity to learn from one another, inspire one another and create a collective impact that would benefit our students and the academic community at large,” he said.
The Head of the Physics Department of the university, Dr Gloria Armah, explained that science education aimed at increasing common knowledge about science and widening social awareness of scientific findings and issues, noting that learning science required learning its language, which differed from daily language.
She noted, however, that learning science became much more difficult by the presence of numerous misconceptions.
A lecturer at the Physics Department of the university, Fortuner Addo-Wuver, who took the participants through hands-on activity teaching in physics education explained that hands-on learning activity should engage students and encourage their participation to promote a deeper understanding of concepts and help students relate theory to real-world applications.
Another lecturer at the Department of Physics, Dr Desmond Appiah, for his part, said physics remained the backbone of engineering and technology but added that many students misperceived it as a difficult subject.
For his part, the Central Regional Director of Education, Emmanuel Essuman, commended the university for its invaluable contributions towards education in the region and the country as a whole.
