It’s an open secret that physics is one of the subjects registering poor interest. Apart from being a mandatory subject in Form one and two in most schools, few students pursue the subject at Form Three and Four.
This is so ironical for a country that is reeling behind in industrial development. Yes, for a country that is “matching” forward to embrace vision 2030.
According to Building Tomorrow Engineers, B-Hert Conference that confined at Melbourne on 20th February this year (2008); Peter Taylar the chief executive Engineer noted that: “children lose interest in mathematics and science at about year 4 level at primary school, where little more than lip-service may be paid to minimal curriculum requirement in respect to technology – related subjects.”
From this brain storming conference it become evident that the manner in which we allocate public funds to other essential gives no “sufficient attention to building of our critical skills capabilities.”
Most students forfeit physics on the alter of “a curriculum designed with a little touch on the impact of physics on their immediate environment,” according to Dr. Ayodo of Masinde Muliro University . This robs the students an opportunity to enhance their skills in analysis, problem solving, critical thinking and experimental, computational and theoretical techniques – which are much needed to functional efficiently in our daily living.
Lest we have forgotten: The last time when the minister of energy Hon. Kiraitu Murungi was challenged on the snail speed of implementing Rural Electrification notwithstanding being in possession of the funds for the same project – he decried the deficit of more than 6,000 electrical engineers.
We need to come to terms with the reality that physics is the father, of not only the much needed engineers, but astronomers, business modelers, medical technologists, meteorologist, synchrotron scientists, physics teachers, management consultants, new metal researchers, instrumentation and telecommunication engineers.
Several countries are set to reverse this regrettable trend, by putting up a long term plan to ensure that there are enough physics teachers with the capacity to teach mathematics and science in all schools, both in primary and secondary.
This is what Australia has embraced after realizing a down ward trend in physics and mathematics at A - level registration fell from 14 percent in 1995 to below 12 percent in 2004.
After putting up professional requirements focused on science, engineering, mathematics education – mandatory for all teachers and as part of their normal career development, they are on a race towards meeting their developmental vision.
It isn’t only Australia but the Asian Tigers, India and developed countries have kept on pulling their socks with the realization that development depends heavily on the engineering output.But Physics dons like Dr. Ayodo are optimistic for our contagious case; he proposes that books should use simpler examples to make Physics interesting to students.
He calls upon teachers to use a friendly methodology by focusing on concepts rather than the dry mathematics part of it.
He concurs with Mr. Peter Mogire, a DEO at Mt. Elgon on the ground that Physics theorems and theories are espoused in mathematics. You can not separate the two: Mathematics is the language of Sciences.
But for Mr. Mogire - an educationalist blames the approach given to the subject and the “exclusive and expensive practical” demanded.
He is of the idea that Kenya should ape the Japanese approach, whereby simple and home made gargets are used in teaching physics. Thus students can be able to turn their rooms and homes into laboratories of physics adventures.
A Chinese say thus goes: I learn to forget, I do to remember. Most physics theories remain abstract when they are not pursued practically. This a rouses student interest towards the subject.
Mr. Joshua Adeogun a don of Technology at the University of Eastern Africa, Baraton (UEAB) believes that physics can be learned from primary level: “Pupils can be introduced to toys with simple concepts of physics, example circuits, which they are free to dismantle to learn the connections themselves,” he says.
For the Electronics don – James Ayiemba at UEAB, who took his postgraduate studies in German, laments that there is a big chasm between learners (institutions of higher learning) and the application of physics (industry). Students need to be exposed to the application of the various theories in daily living – this will ignite a perpetual interest towards the subject from tender level of learning.
Mentorship towards those who are weak or have a negative attitude towards physics is a common phenomenon in German schools. “As teachers we must remember that various students learn at different paces,” he insightfully remarks.
Ayiemba is Of the idea that Africa needs to overcome the syndrome of hardening or complicating physics. His experience is that the subject should be simplified while assuring quality in its learning and teaching.
However, the brutal fact is that as a nation we laid down policies that marginalized ladies from science and technology related courses from the on set of independence – 112 courses were marked for “boys only” while 2 were marked for “girls only” – that is nursing and secretarial courses at middle level colleges. The trend needs to be urgently reversed.
Mohamed a Starehe Boys Centre old boy who was among the top in national ranking blames student’s laziness towards learning the subject.”How can you expect to appreciate the subject without seriously penetrating into its content?” he pauses.
For Nyarangi Annah an alumina of State House Girls now pursuing BSC in Networking Technology at Baraton University acknowledges that they were mentored by their friendly physics teachers who engineered physics to the level of any other subject. Three quarter of the students embraced physics enthusiastically during there year.
“Whatever you set your mind on is achievable. Boys are not made of silver while girls composed from clay. We possess the same number of brain cells – able to pursue physics to the stars.” She offers this to her fellow ladies.
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