Changing the approach of teaching STEM subjects to create impact in resource limited settings

Undertaking practical in STEM subjects has been a big challenge in developing countries. Lack of infrastructure has always been the excuse and there is no ray in the horizon showing that this complain will die out soon. This has made the teaching of STEM subjects to be more theoretical than practical. Unfortunately, even what is called ‘practical’ in most schools is done in laboratories with very limited practical materials. These practical takes only about 15% of the whole teaching experience in high school students preparing for the general certificate of education advanced level. At the lower classes, the teaching of STEM subjects in most cases is 100% theoretical. Students taught this way cannot be expected to be engineers who can invent low cost science tools or experts in other scientific fields in the near future.

Knowing that hands- on- practice teaching is the best approach, we are going to use innovation to make teaching more practical by making use of already existing companies and institutions available in the area. While the schools may not be able to afford most of the practical materials, or move companies to the school campus, we have decided to move the students to the companies, institutions, organizations and sites to observe and participate where permitted, in practical activities that relates to the theory they are being taught in class.

We have prepared a letter to get administrative authorization from the state institution that will give us access to the various practical sites off campus. In addition is a list of the topics in Physics required to be covered by the syllabus which is matched with equired practical. We are working same with mathematics. A 50/50 approach is what we will use where students are exposed to theory and practical equally.