Between 17 and 22 August, the Walid and Helen Kattan Science Education Project concluded its summer course at the International Centre of Bethlehem. This course was held in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and UNRWA. Ninety 1st-10th grade science teachers participated, along with a number of supervisors from Jerusalem and Bethlehem.
The aim of the course was to engage with science teachers from these areas to encourage them to take professional development courses emphasising integrated approaches to science education. At this preliminary stage, several teachers will be chosen to participate in a longer term project that extends throughout the year.
Contemporary science teaching strategies were explored during the programme, many of which are focused around building a reciprocal relationship between students and teachers, putting emphasis on students’ interests and personalities and ensuring science is made to connect with their everyday experiences in the Palestinian context.
One of the programme’s courses focused on scientific enquiry, aiming to encourage exploration by empowering participants to build a rich science environment that stimulates students’ imaginations. Another course addressing informal science was supervised by Dr. Nader Wahbeh and researcher Samar Kirresh, as well as project researchers Bisan Battrawi and Mohammad Odetallah. This course made connections between science and society through science-based community activities. A further course, entitled Learning through the Project, was supervised by Malik Al-Remawi, Track Manager and Senior Researcher at the Centre. It aimed at helping teachers build an applied science project with a strong methodological base, by creating a natural flow of activity between the classroom and children’s daily lives outside of school.
The programme included two drama-focused courses: Drama Education using the Mantle of the Expert approach, and Formation Drama. Both approaches work to build environments in which the teacher and student are equally engaged in the learning process. The Formation Drama course was led by Wasim Kurdi, QCERD Director.
The courses were supervised by Qattan Centre staff and guest specialists including: Prof. Manuel Filipe Costa from Minho University, Portugal, head of the Portuguese Society for Optics and Photonics, who led a course on light and lenses; Prof. Stamatis Vokos from Seattle Pacific University, USA, whose course was an exploration of magnetism; and Richard Kern from Britain, who supervised a course on the Mantle of the Expert. During the course, Kern talked about Palestinian caves as an example of how to teach science in an integrated way.
The participating teachers expressed joy at being involved in the programme, stating that it had enriched their understanding of teaching methods and broadened their life experience. By engaging with contemporary concepts and instruments for teaching science, they were able to review their current practices and plan ahead to create a more reciprocal learning environment for their students.