Teacher workshops in Arusha

As part of the OVPP/CODI project, the Museum Director of the National Natural History Museum in Arusha, Felista Mangalu, is organizing a series of workshops aimed to enhance the teaching of science at the K-12 (primary/secondary) levels at schools in northern Tanzania.

Over the three years of the project (2011-2013), 148 science teachers from over 100 secondary schools in the Arusha area have participated in one of the nine 2-day workshops. These workshops provided them with the opportunity to brain-storm ways to teach science under their local situations and to make connections with other teachers, raising enthusiasm and motivation. Educational use of the National Natural History Museum in Arusha has increased as a result of the workshops and many of the teachers have formed a club through which they keep in touch and share ideas and inspiration.

October 2011 group photo. Director Mangalu is seated in the center in purple.

The Understanding Science flowchart.

The Understanding Science flowchart in Kiswahili.

While the workshops provided an opportunity for teachers to network and renew their enthusiasm, the teachers also participated in the Understanding Science project run by the University of California Museum of Paleontology. This website provides an interactive way to explore how science is really done.

Teachers working together on the Kiswahili translation.

 

The poster version of the flowchart provided useful fodder for the teachers to talk through the scientific process, how they teach it in their classrooms, and also to translate the chart into Kiswahili.

Our goal is to make this Kiswahili version of the Understanding Science flowchart available to anyone that may be interested in it. If you are interested in participating in one of these workshops or getting involved in this project please contact us.

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to the US National Science Foundation for funding and the University of California Museum of Paleontology for project support.