Quality Science Teachers A nd The Role of International Agencies In S .A

1. Quality Science TeachersAnd The Role of International Agencies In S.A Thembi Ndlalane Okayama University 22 November,2010.

2. South Africa

3. The South African Experience • The apartheid system and its legacy- 17 education departments • Inequalities in teacher training and development. • Inadequate teaching and learning materials and other resources in Black schools. • The quality of teachers in Black schools. • Teacher talk teaching strategy. • The quality of learners coming out of the system. • The wide gap between black and white schools.

4. After 1994 • Invitation to the outside world to help build the country. • International agencies from all over the world • JICA, USAID, Dutch Embassy, British Council, Norway, etc. • Volunteers and Peace Cops • Exchange programs with universities • Sent teachers to these countries for 3 – 6 weeks • Sent academics from universities to work with teachers.

5. Support From International Agencies • Helped teachers to understand the nature of science and its tool of inquiry. • Helped teachers by using various teaching and assessment strategies to encourage critical thinking. • Introduced peers and community structures to support their teaching – lesson study, school-based INSET programs and clusters/ teacher networks. • Designed and developed learner centered materials. • Provided basic equipment that assisted teachers to conduct experiments. • Trained the subject advisors/ implementers as support structure. • Planned, designed and developed meaningful lessons that promote effective teaching and learning .

6. SUSTAINABILITY OF SUCH PROGRAMS • Reflective practices- self, group and community assessment- ( Lesson study) – school-based activity. • Professional discussions, peer learning, teacher clusters/ networks and professional teacher centers- in-service courses and programs (MSSI –JICA) • Partnerships created with local academic institutions, department of education and community experts, etc. • Life-long learning and sharing within agencies(formal or informal).

7. Towards Effective Teaching • Teaching for understanding-Knowledge, skills and values for the future • Creation of opportunities for learners to explore their own experiences by using analogies and stories linking to the new content. • Inquiry teaching approach as active learning- interactive discourse in knowledge creation. • Effective management for classroom learning environments. • Development of research skills through projects, assignments and competitions – Expo, symposium. • Computer generated work and tasks for presentation or discussion.

8. Conclusion • Agencies have created a conducive learning situation for teachers. • Teachers developing and furthering their studies locally and in some of these countries. • The skills from outside agencies are still needed for volunteering work within the country. • The gap is still wide between previously black disadvantaged schools and previously white advantaged schools. • S.A still needs classroom support in mathematics and science for the next 10 years.