Challenges that plague the Teaching of Science in Guyana

Scientific development in recent decades has, and will continue to have, a significant influence on topics that have great importance for humanity, quality of life, the sustainable development of the planet, and peaceful coexistence amongst people. From the immediate basic essentials of life such as access to water, food and shelter, to important issues that affect us all (management of agricultural production, water resources, health, energy resources, biodiversity, conservation, environment), all have a strong science component to which everybody should have access to in a meaningful way. In the 21st century, science must become a good shared by all, for the benefit of all people. And it is the teaching of this great subject that is the way forward. As this information forces us to question our approach to science teaching, simultaneously, standards for student learning in science are rapidly expanding. Currently, in order for students to be considered “fully proficient in science”, they must be able to (1) know, use, and interpret scientific explanations; (2) generate and evaluate scientific evidence and explanations; (3) understand the nature and development of scientific knowledge; and (4) participate productively in scientific practices and discourse. In the process of getting these skills across, we are facing many challenges when it comes to effectively teaching Science in our country. Some of these challenges include shortage or rather, the lack thereof, of qualified teachers in the field of science; the retention of whatever qualified teachers we have left; curriculum weakness; inability of providing a hands-on approach to science; the timeframe set aside for the subject; and finally, the inability of connecting science to other subjects/areas.

It is noted that maybe, just maybe, the most important challenge that plagues the teaching of Science in the country is the shortage or lack of qualified teachers in the subject. For one thing there is a lack of knowledge. Teachers do not have the direct training required for the many levels of science education. Many teachers do not feel comfortable teaching science and are very unsure of how to go about teaching science even though many schools are adopting programs that come with all the guided materials necessary to provide students with hands on concrete experiences. Official documentation associated with efforts to enhance teacher education in Guyana admits that “in Guyana, many teachers enter and remain in the profession without the necessary academic qualifications and/or professional training.” Three years ago, an estimated 42% of nursery, primary and secondary school teachers remained untrained and this perhaps has been the chief contributor to low science achievement. The strongest influence on the performance of students in a class is whether they have a teacher with a strong foundation in the subject they teach. In this capacity, students are better able to receive the quality education that they ought to. What I think the authorities should do is try to better the training system for teachers; give them a better foundation so they in turn can build a stronger foundation in the children.

Secondly, the retention of good science teachers is a major contributor to the problem at hand. According to Shaik Baksh, teacher retention appears to be one of the primary concerns. An estimated 633 trained teachers have reportedly left the public education system over the past three years and teachers are reportedly leaving the system at the rate of around 8 per cent annually. Better pay, in the private education sector, the local private sector or in schools abroad may very well be the primary reason behind the flight of our teaching skills. In addition, Baksh said he also supports the option of extending the retirement age for teachers from fifty-five to sixty. He is aware, he said, of “the pool of talent and knowledge” that goes into retirement with the teachers. He has made an “advancement” to Cabinet and he is awaiting the outcome.
Additionally, we must look at the weakness of our curriculum to meet our science needs. The Education Minister believed too that much had been done in the area of curriculum development. From time to time, expositions are held where the resource materials and curriculum guides that have been developed are seen. Curriculum weaknesses in the areas of science can hardly be concealed and the implications of these weaknesses should be acknowledged for the realization of the human resource requirements necessary for national development. Research shows that the World Bank funding will make laboratories possible for both the Cyril Potter College of Education and the University of Guyana. Yes, this is a good idea, but what of the labs for the students? If these are being made possible to equip teachers with the knowledge to teach the students, why can’t they be made possible to equip students with the materials they need to learn?

This brings me to my next point, the inability to provide a hands-on approach in the teaching of science. Hands-on science education seems to be in short supply in our schools.
Even in classes where science is being taught, too much of it seems limited to lectures based on textbooks. In my opinion, the major benefit of doing actual experiments comes from observing and/or experimenting. Experiments also allow students to observe non-intuitive phenomena. In this setting, a well-equipped laboratory can take advantage of versatile equipment and handheld devices to attain real data that can be made useful. In other words, students benefit when they do science, not just learn about science. My recommendation is that more equipment, materials, apparatus or whatever else necessary should be provided to a more experiment-friendly atmosphere for learners.

The timeframe that is set aside for delivery of science is poor. It was observed that because of the new subjects that are constantly being added to the curriculum, the time for existing subjects, most importantly science, are being shortened. During the school week, there is less time for the science subjects and this dampens the teaching/learning activity. And you would think that during each day, the specific time set aside for the science subjects would be the most, but this is not so. Do you think a mere, what, 30 or 40 minutes would suffice for such an interesting, intriguing, time consuming subject? No, I don’t think so! In my opinion, the science subjects ought to have more daily and weekly time so that its teaching can be efficient/effective.

My final point is the inability of the teachers and children alike to connect science to other subjects/areas. It could be because of the lack of untrained teachers or the fact that some teachers just don’t know Science, and that makes it difficult for both the students and teachers to be able to relate science to everyday life. Once an individual can perform this skill, in my opinion, it means that the concepts are well understood; learning has taken place. Today, for concrete reasons, we are hearing more about the need for STEM skills (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and the ability to treat them as one. While all are taught as separate subjects in school, the power of integrating the STEM subjects strengthens the understanding of each. The benefit of this approach is that, when students see (and understand) the interconnectedness of these four fields, they may find themselves more motivated to explore the individual subjects deeper, especially science.

In conclusion, not only do our children underperform in science achievement when compared to students in other countries, but the immature ideas about science phenomena they bring with them to school frequently survive unchanged through primary, secondary and maybe even tertiary school. Over the past several decades, an alarm has been raised, warning of the state of science education and challenges common for both teachers and children in Guyana’s education system. By committing itself to providing free education from nursery to university, Guyana has embraced an additional weighty burden which its delicate economy has simply been unable to carry. If we compare ourselves with the rest of the Caribbean an argument can perhaps be made that at least in terms of success at the primary and secondary level examinations, our country has held its own, despite the growing mountain of problems that are associated with the teaching of Science in Guyana, as clarified above. Much more can be done to improve the current state of Science in our country, and more should be placed on the shoulders of the Government and Ministry. In whatever way possible, though, it is recommended that teachers assist in whatever way possible to help correct the situation.

References

Websites

http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0019/001914/191425e.pdf

http://www.stabroeknews.com/2010/guyana-review/05/31/talking-about-education-a-conversation-with-shaik-baksh/

References: Websites http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0019/001914/191425e.pdf http://www.stabroeknews.com/2010/guyana-review/05/31/talking-about-education-a-conversation-with-shaik-baksh/