Advancing Knowledge Non-Profit Company (AK NPC) recently held the first of four professional development sessions planned for 2025 directed at intersen (grades 4-7) and senior phase (grades 8 and 9) teachers of natural sciences at Luckhoff High School in Idas Valley, Stellenbosch. The training offered to intersen teachers was conducted on Friday 21 February while senior phase teachers attended the training on Saturday 22 February 2025. The first term curriculum content in natural sciences for both phases are covered under the curriculum knowledge area called Life and Living or generally referred to as Life Sciences. The continued professional development sessions are arranged around the practical application of curriculum content required in each term in order to assist teachers in their preparation of that term’s work.
The first training session conducted was geared towards the inquiry-based approach of teaching natural sciences and structured to allow teachers a facilitated hands-on interaction with the practical component of Life Sciences required in each of the two phases. As Prof Shaheed Hartley (AK NPC Director) puts it “The challenge that teachers face with ever increasing class-sizes of between 50 and 60 learners, requires a rethink of teaching strategy. The Inquiry-based approach offers our teachers a teaching strategy to maintain learners participation and interest”. The participation of teachers was arranged in collaboration with the education district’s subject advisors Mr Ziyaad Moerat and Ms Chantel Cupido. The professional development sessions for teachers in Stellenbosch were initiated by the Luckhoff Education Group. The facilitators for the life sciences sessions were Ms Dawn Faroe and Mr Fadli Wagiet assisted by AK NPC staff Ms Saadiqah Fraden, Yusra Joubert (science interns) and Melissa Petersen ( projects coordinator).
LIFE SCIENCES FOR INTERSEN TEACHERS
Amidst sweltering heat of above 35 degrees Celsius, a total of 31 InterSen teachers attended the training sessions at Luckhoff High School on Friday 21 February 2025. Working in groups and interacting with each other as in a natural science classroom scenario, teachers argued, discussed and debated the application of an inquiry-based approach in their classes, the scientific method, the different variables in experimental and investigative setups. Teachers were also reminded of constructive noise of learners during practical work as they themselves interacted loudly with the practical content and with each other. Overall teachers expressed an enjoyment and appreciation for the practical and inquiry-based activities in life sciences and their direct hands-on involvement in all the activities, from witnessing cellular level activities under the microscope including the making of slides from plant specimens, to boiling leaves in alcohol to extract chlorophyl and then testing for the products of photosynthesis, connecting food chains from various samples, to modelling the human skeleton, to the extraction of DNA from various fruit sources and many more. At the end of the InterSen session, teachers provided their reflection:
- The practical work we did today seemed so simple and straight forward and took little time to set up. I can adapt to this kind of approach. [Teacher]
- I have already set my mind on many of these practical activities to be included in my lessons. I have video-taped the activities and will definitely implement them with my learners. [Teacher]
- This workshop has been the most exciting that I have attended in many, many years. I have booked my space for the next session which is chemistry and I hope there will be space to bring some of my natural science colleagues. [Teacher]
I am in Pretoria and could unfortunately not make it to this training but the feedback and photos that I received from the teachers were absolutely brilliant and exciting. I will definitely be there the next session. I am so grateful for your work as I continue to read the positive feedback from excited teachers on our natural science WhatsApp group. Thank you. [Science Subject Advisor]
LIFE SCIENCES FOR SENIOR PHASE TEACHERS
The high day temperatures did not deter senior phase natural sciences teachers of the surrounding schools from attending the Saturday (22 February 2025) session. This was a smaller group compared to the intersen teachers but their interaction with the facilitators and the content was as vociferous. Teachers all agreed on the importance of inquiry-based approach as a teaching strategy and showing the content practically to get learner participation in their lessons. The facilitators prepared a number of interactive activities that required teachers’ hands-on involvement and participation. Teachers responded enthusiastically to all the activities as they had individual attention and support provided by AK NPC staff. There was, however, a pause when teachers were provided with real sheep oesophagus, lung, heart and liver combination and asked to touch and work with it. There was initial apprehension when asked to blow down the oesophagus to show how the lungs inflated but teachers slowly acceded. Amongst the many life sciences activities that teachers were exposed to and participated in include conducting tests on a number of food products, DNA extraction from fruit, microscopy to view cells and microorganisms, experiments to demonstrate photosynthesis and respiration, models to demonstrate various human body processes as well as an intense discussion and debate on the human body processes and how learners in grades 8 and 9 respond to changes in their bodies. Teachers were very appreciative of the session in their reflections:
- I liked the calm nature of the workshop and how each and every practical application is made clear. Also the fact the we could individually do and try out each practical activity. [Teacher]
- I really appreciate the level of the practicals and that its easily replicated in our life science lessons. [Teacher]
- I kept my eye on some of the activities that are new to me. I video-recorded them so that I can implement them in my class. [Teacher]
Thank you for the exciting sessions. It was my wish with the sessions that our teachers implement the work in their classes no matter how small or simple the experiment. We need to get our learners involved in science activities to really draw their interest in the subject. [Science subject advisor].