Science teachers accelerated programme model: a joint partnership in the Pacific region

Abstract

The paper heralds a new pedagogical model known as the Science Teachers Accelerated Programme as a platform to upgrade the qualifications of secondary school science teachers throughout the Pacific region. Based on a tripartite partnership between a higher education provider, a regional government and a cohort of science teachers, the model offers an accelerated Bachelor's degree programme to the cohort. Using this tripartite partnership model, a pilot of the Science Teachers Accelerated Programme is underway between the University of the South Pacific, the Government of Samoa and a cohort of science teachers in Samoa. The underpinning activities garnering social and academic integration are highlighted with analytics. The strengths, challenges and opportunities of the new, cohort-taught science model are presented with relevant diagnoses, interventions and adaptive works carried out in the first half of the delivery plan. While the Government of Samoa is considering the implementation of a second cycle, the University of the South Pacific is considering extending the model to other regional countries.

Digital Literacy

“…Figure 1 depicts the SDG goals that will transform the world and enable in the achievement of a better and sustainable future. For the purpose of this study, a gear model which has been adopted from (Sharma, et al, 2018) has been proposed. Figure 1 shows the model which depicts the importance of ICT in order to achieve the SDG goals.…”

“…As King (1993) states, a facilitator's changed from sage on the stage to guide on the guide (King, 1993). According to (Sapkota et al, 2018;Englund et al, 2016;Fu, 2013) ICT has reformed and restructured the learning and teaching context to improve the quality of education in a number of ways such as augmenting students' efficacy to learn, providing essential tools and technology for accessing learning resources, enhancing professional development of teachers, improving efficiency of administration and accessibility of resources just-in-time, just-for-me and just-enough learning (Sharma et al, 2018;Kumar && Mohite, 2017;Reddy et al, 2016).…”

Attitudes towards science among senior secondary students in Fiji

“…Given the importance of science as an innovative, problem-solving, inquiry/investigative-based discipline that forms increasingly essential daily applications, this suggests that there are some significant challenges in the area of science education that need to be addressed globally. The Pacific Island countries also show this trend and clearly demonstrate low student achievement in junior and senior levels (Dakuidreketi, 2014;Sharma et al, 2018). This is particularly evident in Fiji, which is striving to improve its standing in the scientific community primarily in the oceanic region and globally in general.…”

“…The world-wide status of science education There is a general trend worldwide of a decline in the uptake of science in schools (De Broucker, 2001;Dekkers & De Laeter, 2001;Dobson, 2006;Kennedy et al, 2014), which continues through the secondary system into the tertiary education sector (Sharma et al, 2018). Given the importance of science as an innovative, problem-solving, inquiry/investigative-based discipline that forms increasingly essential daily applications, this suggests that there are some significant challenges in the area of science education that need to be addressed globally.…”

“…As pointed out by Renagai Lohia, the Ambassador of Papua New Guinea to the United Nations, the people "have had to run in order to remain on the same spot" (Baba, 1985). It must be added that changes have come slowly and at different paces for the Pacific Island nations (Dakuidreketi et al, 2016;Sharma et al, 2018).…”