Stellenbosch University hosts the launch of Maths and Science Teacher Network by Faculty of Science
The Faculty of Science at Stellenbosch University (SU) launched a Maths and Science Teachers’ Network (MSTN) on 25 August 2022 to bridge the gap between secondary and tertiary education in the fundamental sciences.
According to Ms Maambele Khosa, recruitment officer of the Faculty of Science and organiser, the objective of the network is to build a long-term partnership with maths and science teachers from the most important feeder schools in the Western Cape: ““We would like to know what educators identify as challenges in their environment, and how we may be able to support them, or connect them with already existing support structures,” she said.
In her welcome address, Prof Louise Warnich, dean of the Faculty of Science, said she sees the relationship between teachers and first year lecturers as a relay team, passing the baton from school to university (with only a December holiday in between): “We are grateful for teachers inspiring learners, and opening new opportunities in science for them”.
Prof Ingrid Rewitzky, vice-dean of teaching and learning in the faculty, emphasised the importance of taking a more holistic approach to students’ concept of academic success: “Student success is not necessarily reflected by academic achievement. We want our students to use the basic sciences to tackle some of the big problems facing society out there. But the students are afraid of failure, of trying out new things,” she warned.
First year lecturers from the Faculty of Science also gave their perspective on how best to address the challenge of moving from learning for marks (to be admitted to a specific academic programme at university) and then being confronted with a learning-for-understanding approach in their first year.
Dr Marietjie Lutz, from the Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science, said teachers must maintain a difficult balance between learning for earning marks and learning for understanding: “It is very sad to see top performing learners suffer in their first year at university when they do not have a basic understanding of the subject”.
Dr Christine Landman from the Department of Physics also emphasised the importance of not memorising examples from the textbook. Rather: “They should actually read the textbook and understand the two or three underlying principles in each chapter, and then be able to apply it in different contexts”.
This means that sometimes it is better to struggle with a problem until you get it right, instead of relying on tutors or memorandums from old papers, they added.
Other first year lecturers emphasised the fast pace of learning and increased volume of work: “Studying at university requires an extra level of learning – not just slightly more than at school,” warned Prof Carol Simon from the Department of Botany and Zoology. This means that students must learn to break down complex information into more basic pieces, and to ask for help when they struggle.
Dr Phillip Southey from the Department of Mathematical Sciences said some of the first year students experience failure for the first time in their lives: “Because their identities are blended with their marks, instead of a love for the subject, it is much harder to pick themselves up after failure”.
From the teachers
In the feedback session, more than one teacher mentioned that the current educational system does not allow for learning for understanding. The learners need good results to enter university, so a holistic approach and understanding is sacrificed. Other challenges include a packed syllabus and lack of time to teach for understanding.
Teachers are also faced with inherited gaps from previous grades, an accumulative gap problem that starts at primary school level.
Regardless of all these challenges, there were also maths and science teachers who shared their concept of using evidence-based educational methods, such as deep mathematical thinking and spiral revision.