1. SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHERS TRAINING PROGRAMME Jana Vignana Vedika, Andhra Pradesh Hyderabad

3. Teaching Science “ I think you learn by doing…you figure out how to do things by watching other people do them … that’s the way you learn to be a good physicist. Nobody can train you on how to do physics. You don’t teach methodology courses in natural science……you just watch people doing it and you participate with them in doing it … not all that different from an artisan picking up a craft and working with someone who’s supposedly good at it “ (Liberating the Mind from Orthodoxies: NoamChomsky )

5. Objective  Improvement in the quality of school science education  School children are not proficient in science because the school teachers lack conceptual knowledge and/or use inefficient methodology  Teachers have themselves not undergone proper training in science teaching methodologies.  The objective of the Programme : impart conceptual knowledge in science to school teachers through a series of Teacher Training Workshops.  The methodology : science teaching through inquiry-based hands-on experimentation using low-cost/no-cost experimental kits.  Conceptual clarity and comprehension is the aim of instruction.

7. The Training Programme-1  School teachers in groups of 40 attend a 6-day (Monday- Saturday)training workshop.  Workshops for Physical Sciences(Physics & Chemistry) and Biological Sciences(Botany & Zoology) are conducted separately.  Workshops cover the school science curriculum (class 6-10) in Physics, Chemistry and Biology.  Each day(10 am to -5 pm) is divided into four 90 minute sessions.

9. The Training Programme-2  Experimental kits used are easy-to-build and low-cost : which can be easily replicated in schools.  The lectures are based on demonstrations/ experiments using the kits.  Assembling and/or use of the kits are demonstrated during the lectures  Teacher participants are supplied with sample kits for use in their teaching.  A Teachers' manual is also provided as a guide.

11. Funding  The Rajiv Vidya Mission (Sarva Shiksha Abhayan), A.P. has consented to sponsor 50 such workshops; to be conducted over a period of about two years.  The funding covers travel, boarding, lodging, classroom and kit costs for the participants.  The resource persons, all associated with JVV, conduct these workshops on a voluntary, honorary basis without any charge.  NCSTC,DST New Delhi has also consented to sponsor 12 such workshops for teachers of Minority schools.

13. Workshops conducted( 2011) All RVM(SSA) sponsored Sl. No Workshop dates & Venue Subject Strength Participant Teachers from 1 20 -26 June 2011 SRTRI,Jalalpur Physical Sciences18 Govt High Schools (Nellore,Prakasam,Nalgonda and Mahbubnagar) 2 04-10 July 2011 SRTRI,Jalalpur Biological Sciences24 Govt High Schools (Nellore,Prakasam,Nalgonda and Mahbubnagar) 3 18 -24 July 2011 APARD,Rajendranagar Physical Sciences20 Govt High Schools (Nellore,Prakasam,Nalgonda and Mahbubnagar) 4 08-14 Aug 2011APARD,Rajendranagar Physical Sciences34 Govt High Schools (Nellore,Prakasam,Nalgonda and Mahbubnagar) 5 22- 28 Aug 2011 APARD,Rajendranagar Physical Sciences38Tribal Welfare High Schools 6 5 –11 Sept 2011 APARD,Rajendranagar Biological Sciences39Tribal Welfare High Schools 7 12 -18 Sept 2011 APARD,Rajendranagar Physical Sciences22Tribal Welfare High Schools 8 31 Oct- 6 Nov 2011 APARD,Rajendranagar Physical Sciences36Govt High Schools(Guntur) 9 07-13 Nov 2011 APARD,Rajendranagar Biological Sciences36Tribal Welfare High Schools

14. Workshops conducted( 2012) N o. Workshop dates & VenueSubjectSupported by Strength Participant Teachers from 1023-29 Jan 2012 St.Anns Generalate, Tarnaka Physical SciencesRVM 39 +2 Govt High Schools (Chittoor) St.AnnsTeachers(Nizamabad) 1116-21 July 2012 St.Anns Generalate, Tarnaka Physical SciencesRVM35Govt High Schools (W.Godavari) 1223-28 July 2012 Satyodayam,Tarnaka Physical SciencesRVM32Govt High Schools (Visakhapatnam) 1330July-4 Aug 2012 St Anns Generalate,Tarnaka Biological Sciences RVM36Govt High Schools (Visakhapatnam) 1427th Aug -1st Sept 2012 Neo School Aizza,Malakpet Physical SciencesNCSTC36Minority Institutions (Hyderabad-Old City) 1510th -15th Sept 2012 St Anns Generalate, Tarnaka Physical SciencesRVM34Govt High Schools (Warangal) 1617th -22nd September 2012 St Anns Generalate, Tarnaka Physical SciencesNCSTC37Minority Institutions (St Anns Group) 17 24th -29th Sept 2012 St Anns Generalate, Tarnaka Physical SciencesRVM32Govt High Schools (E.Godavari) 188th- 13th October 2012 St Patricks School,Secunderabad Biological Sciences NCSTC37Minority Institutions (Hyderabad) 195th- 10th Nov 2012 St Anns Generalate, Tarnaka Physical SciencesRVM15Govt High Schools (Khammam) 20 5th- 10th Nov 2012 St Anns Generalate, Tarnaka Biological Sciences RVM19Govt High Schools (Prakasam) 21 3rd- 8th December 2012 St Anns Generalate, Tarnaka Biological Sciences RVM34Govt High Schools (Khammam) 22 10th -15th December 2012 All Saints HS, Gunfoundry Physical SciencesNCSTC27Minority Institutions (Hyderabad) 23 17th -22nd December 2012 Satyodayam, Tarnaka Physical SciencesRVM36Govt High Schools (Kadapa)

15. Workshops conducted( 2013) No.Workshop dates & VenueSubjectSupported by Strength Participant Teachers from 2013 24 21st- 26th Jan 2013 St Anns Generalate, Tarnaka Biological SciencesRVM43Govt High Schools (Kadapa) 25 21st- 26th Jan 2013 St Anns Generalate, Tarnaka Biological SciencesRVM13Govt High Schools (Karimnagar) 1330July-4 Aug 2012 St Anns Generalate,Tarnaka Biological SciencesRVM36Govt High Schools (Visakhapatnam) 1427th Aug -1st Sept 2012 Neo School Aizza,Malakpet Physical SciencesNCSTC36Minority Institutions (Hyderabad-Old City) 1510th -15th Sept 2012 St Anns Generalate, Tarnaka Physical SciencesRVM34Govt High Schools (Warangal) 1617th -22nd September 2012 St Anns Generalate, Tarnaka Physical SciencesNCSTC37Minority Institutions (St Anns Group) 17 24th -29th Sept 2012 St Anns Generalate, Tarnaka Physical SciencesRVM32Govt High Schools (E.Godavari) 188th- 13th October 2012 St Patricks School,Secunderabad Biological SciencesNCSTC37Minority Institutions (Hyderabad) 195th- 10th Nov 2012 St Anns Generalate, Tarnaka Physical SciencesRVM15Govt High Schools (Khammam) 20 5th- 10th Nov 2012 St Anns Generalate, Tarnaka Biological SciencesRVM19Govt High Schools (Prakasam) 21 3rd- 8th December 2012 St Anns Generalate, Tarnaka Biological SciencesRVM34Govt High Schools (Khammam) 22 10th -15th December 2012 All Saints HS, Gunfoundry Physical SciencesNCSTC27Minority Institutions (Hyderabad) 23 17th -22nd December 2012 Satyodayam, Tarnaka Physical SciencesRVM36Govt High Schools (Kadapa)

16. No.Workshop dates & VenueSubjectSupported by Strength Participant Teachers from 24 21st- 26th Jan 2013 St Anns Generalate, Tarnaka Biological SciencesRVM43Govt High Schools (Kadapa) 25 21st- 26th Jan 2013 St Anns Generalate, Tarnaka Biological SciencesRVM13Govt High Schools (Karimnagar) Workshops conducted( 2013)

18. Summary of Workshop Participation Total : RVM teachers (14 districts) 500 TWREIS teachers 135 Minority Institution teachers 139 Grand Total : (teachers) 774 Total RVM workshops (14 districts) 17 (Physical Sci- 11 Bioscience-6 ) TWREIS workshops 04 (Physical Sci- 2 Bioscience-2) Minority Institution workshops 04 (Physical Sci- 3 Bioscience-1) Grand Total : (workshops) 25 (Physical Sci- 16 Bioscience-9 )

20. Feedback from Participants-1 “ We never thought it is so easy to do experiments in the class room. The concept of low cost or no cost experiments designed for the training program has driven away our misconceptions that we do not have equipment to carry out the experiments in the class room. Now we have confidence of carrying out experiments with whatever material available in and around our school. We can ourseleves make the equipment or model required and also can make the students to replicate the same and enjoy science. The confidence we acquired would really make a difference in our teaching of science in the coming years “.

22. Feedback from Participants-2 “The training program is designed by keeping the requirement of the students in view; to make science concepts understandable in a lucid fashion. This is really a great experience for us and our attitude towards science teaching will dramatically change in the years to come. The resource persons made us to do the experiments in the class room which built confidence in us that we can do same thing in our classes with the students in a more friendly and playful way of teaching science.”

24. Feedback from Participants-3 Many teachers said that they would take out all the equipment and chemicals available in the school and start teaching using hands-on experimental method. They also said that they will convince the Head Masters to purchase materials from the funds allotted to the school, to change the pattern of teaching.

26. Feedback from Participants-4 “We enjoyed ourselves very much while doing the activity planned by the resource persons. Therefore, the students in the school can really enjoy doing such activity and learn the concepts easily, moreover they will not forget the concepts learnt through activity”.

28. Feedback from Participants-5 All the participants liked the introduction of concepts of various topics through simple experiments. All of them felt that this type of teaching creates enthusiasm among the students. This method creates not only interest among the students but also clear understanding of the concepts which they will not forget. They also said that this way of activity oriented teaching can save time.

30. Conclusion The workshops are currently conducted only in Hyderabad. There is an active effort to establish teams of resource persons in at least 3 other centres across the state, so that workshops can be conducted simultaneously in 4 centres. We hope to conduct at least 20 workshops during 2013-2014 THANK YOU