Don advocates revitalisation of science education to produce versatile learners

A don in the Faculty of Education, Ekiti State University, Ado- Ekiti, Professor Kehinde Omotayo, has identified revitalisation of science education as a requisite for producing versatile learners who can think for themselves and contribute meaningfully to scholarly discussions.

Professor Omotayo made the observation while delivering the 70th inaugural lecture of the institution entitled “Producing Versatility in the Teaching-Learning Process: An Effort to Revitalise Science Education.”

She stated that of teaching and learning in almost all the educational institutions in the country had been queried on standard, while attesting to the established fact by some scholars that “the education being acquired in Nigeria only prepares  learners to pass specific examinations without applying the knowledge acquired outside of the classroom.”

“In curriculum evaluation, the quality of the product matters, as it forms the basis for the decision-making process. Nigeria is still in the quest of a functional curriculum, which is the fundamental prerequisite of any educational system that can foster national development.

“Teachers are expected to be more experienced and knowledgeable to assist learners to acquire new learning experiences. No nation can rise above the quality of its teachers,” she said.

According to her, teaching science requires expertise to revitalise science education appropriately, adding that models preparing teachers differ greatly with contemporary societies.

She emphasised that the ideal model for preparing science teachers should involve the acquisition of knowledge that is in-depth in content as well as pedagogy method that demonstrates professional competence.

She pointed out that science reformation efforts through research had suggested a good number of innovative instructional strategies which involved ‘hands-on’ and ‘minds-on’ activities to help learners gain better understanding of the scientific concepts.

The don recommended that science should be taught more creatively in the country, as there is a dire need for paradigm shift to practicality in the teaching of science and other science based disciplines.

She added that teachers of science-based disciplines must be of the right sort by initial selection, self-effort and training.

“Acquisition of scientific imperatives has proven not to be a function of gender. Every science teacher, both male and female, should avoid creating sexism in the science classrooms. There is a need to create an enabling environment for ICT usage in facilitating scientific instructions,” she stressed.

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