IBSE: Gateway to SADC’s scientific development

Lazarus Sauti

With vast problems bedeviling the Southern Africa Development Community, the region, without doubt, requires a system of science teaching that is tailored to create thinkers, inquirers and innovators.

The regional bloc needs to promote inquiry based science education, as it is the only system that can create thinkers as well as solving socio-economic problems hindering sustainable development.

“Inquiry based science education approach encourages children to question, conduct research for genuine reasons, and make discoveries on their own,” notes Judith Johnson, an associate professor of science education at the University of Central Florida.

Professor Roseanne Diab, a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa, also says inquiry based science education should be promoted as it focuses on student inquiry as the driving force for learning.

“Teaching is organised around questions and problems in a highly student-centered inquiry process, and students learn through and about scientific inquiry rather than by teachers presenting scientific content knowledge,” Diab says, adding that “learners are encouraged to learn through exploring, discovery and investigation.”

Sameh Soror, an Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Faculty of Pharmacy Helwan University and Director of the Centre for Scientific Excellence “Helwan Structural Biology Research”, also adds inquiry based science education advances science literacy of pupils.

“IBSE improves science literacy of school pupils; teaches curiosity; and instills the willingness to explore new ideas and reliance on evidence and logic,” he says.

Sadly, IBSE is not very commonly used within most – if not all – SADC countries due to lack of in-depth science content and concept knowledge of teachers in addition to lack of access to quality resources and facilities for teaching.

More so, it is not used since not enough time is dedicated for the in-service training of teachers.

This, therefore, calls for policy decision makers in countries within and across the SADC region to sanction the integration of inquiry based science education into the school curricula, and support pilot projects to introduce inquiry based science education into schools.

Relevant stakeholders must also lobby for the implementation of inquiry based science education in training institutions, and approve financial and other resources for developing teachers on inquiry based science education.

“Policy decision makers must endorse the integration of IBSE into the school curricula; support pilot projects to introduce IBSE into schools; lobby to strengthen current science curricula through the IBSE approach; address the communication gap between practitioners, educators and policy-makers involved developing curricula; and focus on implementing pilot workshops and projects for teacher training and teacher trainers on IBSE,” according to a policy-makers’ booklet titled “Inquiry-Based Science Education: Increasing Participation of Girls in Science in sub-Saharan Africa”.

Nevertheless, Professor Diab believes there is a need for science academies on the region to work mutually in advising their governments on the importance and value of inquiry based science education.

“Modern science academies recognise, support and promote excellence in scientific research performed by scientists who are citizens of a nation; promote contact among scientists and the global scientific community; strengthen the global position and role of scientific research performed by scientists; provide evidence-based scientific advice to government; and increase public awareness of science in a nation.

“Given their role regarding the promotion of science education, and providing advice to their governments, academies in the region are well placed to promote inquiry based science education.  There is, therefore, a need for science academies on the African continent to work collaboratively in advising their governments on the importance and value of inquiry based science education,” she says.

For inquiry based science education to be the gateway to scientific development in the region, science academies must provide evidence-based policy advice to governments on IBSE – its features, successful contextual implementation, advantages and disadvantages; lobby governments to adopt IBSE; identify monitoring and evaluation mechanisms for implementing IBSE; assist government in consolidating information on IBSE; forge partnerships with academies where IBSE has been introduced and expand their knowledge on implementation processes; offer volunteer assistance in classrooms; as well as coaching and mentoring teachers on IBSE.

Without wasting time, SADC member states must capture the opportunities and expand the application of inquiry based science education programmes in primary and secondary institutions.

If the region wants to develop, it must change and improving science education is the only gateway for socioeconomic transformation in SADC.