In pursuit of its mandate to advance science education in Zimbabwe, Bindura University of Science Education (BUSE), in partnership with Clark University (USA), hosted the first webinar, in a series, under the theme Redefining Science Education in Zimbabwe.
Clark University’s Professor Letina Jeranyama was the guest presenter.
The webinar presented an opportunity for education stakeholders to converse about the importance of science literacy among students from as young as Early Childhood Development (ECD) to secondary school.
BUSE’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Eddie Mwenje said the webinar dives in an area of major interest not only to Zimbabwe but the developing world.
“Many countries are today grappling with challenges of crafting appropriate and responsive science education curriculum. I’m therefore hopeful that the insights by our expert speaker, and distinguished Professor Latina Jeranyama will be most enlightening and challenging to all of us,” said Prof Mwenje.
The guest speaker Prof Jeranyama’s interests include scientific literacy for all, school-university partnerships, science education reform and using formative assessment to guide teaching.
In her presentation, Prof Jeranyama said the webinar is a call to action to redefine science education which is drifting.
“It is a call to action, that we should have a common vision. We are drifting because every person who is supposed to be staying together is not together. We need to have a common vision for all of us who are supposed to be on this ship, which includes the curriculum developers, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, the people who give us resources in terms of science teaching resources like textbooks and technology, the people who are in the examination section, their policymakers and all the people that affect science,” said Prof Jeranyama.
Various stakeholders from the Government, teachers’ training institutions, international colleges, technology companies and educationists attended the webinar.
They discussed the need for a redefinition of science education in Zimbabwe, with a focus on increasing scientific literacy, curriculum reform, and teacher education. The participants emphasized the importance of a holistic approach to science education reform, involving all sectors of society, and the need for a systematic change in science education, with a focus on language and pedagogy.
More monthly webinars are to follow which will culminate at the International Science Education Conference which BUSE will host in Victoria Falls in August.
