The use of easily accessible resources during hands-on practical activities in rural under-resourced Namibian schools

Asheela, Eva; Ngcoza, Kenneth Mlungisi; Sewry, Joyce D.

doi:10.4324/9780429260650-2

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 1 publication

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“…However, using these strategies in a science classroom could be a challenge to most teachers who might lack the necessary skills. For example, a study by Asheela et al 80 on the use of everyday resources in hands-on classroom activities showed that teachers would require training for effective use of such resources in their teaching.…”

Section: Integrate Science Communication Strategies Into School Sciencementioning

confidence: 99%

Science communication: The link to enable enquiry-based learning in under-resourced schools

2023

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Improving skills in STEM disciplines has been identified as essential in meeting South Africa’s economic growth targets. Despite this, learner uptake and completion rates within these subjects is currently well below international standards. We therefore examined key stages within the science education system to identify factors contributing to the low throughput in science education. We reviewed how national science policy changes have impacted the curriculum and teaching practices across different education establishments and socio-economic groups. We highlight that 80% of public schools have a lack of resources for practical learning, making it difficult for teachers to implement enquiry-based teaching methods. We explored strategies for effective engagement with science from the science communication literature and present recommendations to improve learner engagement with science in under-resourced school settings. Whilst education reform is needed at a national scale, we make a case for using science communication practices in science classes as a more immediate solution to generate greater interest and understanding, and encourage learners to pursue careers in science.

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Section: Integrate Science Communication Strategies Into School Sciencementioning

confidence: 99%

Science communication: The link to enable enquiry-based learning in under-resourced schools

2023

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“…There are various benchmark datasets available for web search documents, including MSRA, WOS, the Braille dataset (as described in Table 2), and Wikipedia, which have been extensively adopted by multiple researchers [37]. However, Wikipedia is widely used among all the datasets due to its large, consumed source of capturing knowledge.…”

Section: Datasetmentioning

confidence: 99%

WSREB Mechanism: Web Search Results Exploration Mechanism for Blind Users

Naseer,

Rashid,

Saddal

et al. 2023

Applied Sciences

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In the contemporary digital landscape, web search functions as a pivotal conduit for information dissemination. Nevertheless, blind users (BUs) encounter substantial barriers in leveraging online services, attributable to intrinsic deficiencies in the information structure presented by online platforms. A critical analysis reveals that a considerable segment of BUs perceive online service access as either challenging or unfeasible, with only a fraction of search endeavors culminating successfully. This predicament stems largely from the linear nature of information interaction necessitated for BUs, a process that mandates sequential content relevancy assessment, consequently imposing cognitive strain and fostering information disorientation. Moreover, the prevailing evaluative metrics for web service efficacy—precision and recall—exhibit a glaring oversight of the nuanced behavioral and usability facets pertinent to BUs during search engine design. Addressing this, our study introduces an innovative framework to facilitate information exploration, grounded in the cognitive principles governing BUs. This framework, piloted using the Wikipedia dataset, seeks to revolutionize the search result space through categorical organization, thereby enhancing accessibility for BUs. Empirical and usability assessments, conducted on a cohort of legally blind individuals (N = 25), underscore the framework’s potential, demonstrating notable improvements in web content accessibility and system usability, with categorical accuracy standing at 84% and a usability quotient of 72.5%. This research thus holds significant promise for redefining web search paradigms to foster inclusivity and optimized user experiences for BUs.

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“…Kitchen chemistry hands-on practical activities require easily accessible materials and equipment that most learners have at home. 29 In this study, all the experiments made use of household items, or easily accessible materials to explain the concept of acids and bases.…”

Section: Hands-on Practical Activities and Kitchen Chemistrymentioning

confidence: 99%

Attitudes to science when doing kitchen chemistry at science clubs

2023

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The South African grade 9 Natural Sciences curriculum suggests the use of everyday science to introduce the usefulness and the relatability of science to learners. Many learners, however, seem to have a negative attitude towards science learning and science as an entity. This study is an intervention that sought to ascertain the attitudes of grade 8 and 9 learners in under-resourced schools in South Africa after they had carried out kitchen chemistry hands-on practical activities at science clubs in under-resourced township schools. The learners were interviewed about their experiences, and university student volunteers at the science clubs were also interviewed. An inductive-deductive thematic approach was used to analyse the qualitative interview data. The findings of the study revealed that the learners had a more positive attitude toward science after they had been engaged in the kitchen chemistry hands-on practical activities. Additionally, the integration of everyday knowledge promoted conceptual understanding and improved the performance of the learners. The interviews with the student volunteers revealed aspects that they thought would improve learners' attitudes to science. Science clubs run by university student volunteers could assist in promoting a positive attitude to science among learners.

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The use of easily accessible resources during hands-on practical activities in rural under-resourced Namibian schools

Cited by 4 publications

References 1 publication

Science communication: The link to enable enquiry-based learning in under-resourced schools

Science communication: The link to enable enquiry-based learning in under-resourced schools

WSREB Mechanism: Web Search Results Exploration Mechanism for Blind Users

Attitudes to science when doing kitchen chemistry at science clubs

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