Space Education Seminar 2016: “Space Science Workshop for Educators”

BACKGROUND

Generally, very little astronomy or space science topics are being taught in current primary school curriculum and it appears only as part of General Science textbook. Same to the secondary school curriculum, astronomy or space science appears only as part of the General Science, Geography and Physics textbook. Teachers do not usually have specialties in educating astronomical or space science topics. General science, for example, covers a lot of science topics, and teachers normally use the very brief information provided in the school textbooks for the preparation of their teaching and learning process in classroom. When teachers do not have the opportunity to explore or participate relevant training courses that provide sufficient and latest teaching material of astronomy or space science, they tend to prepare their classes using only the textbook information that maybe out-dated and fail to convey the excitement generated by modern science topics. Furthermore, astronomy is a science subject that undergoes rapid change. Therefore it would be better to provide teachers with the basics knowledge of astronomy and the latest changes in space science beforehand.

The National Space Agency of Malaysia (ANGKASA) and the Curriculum Development Division, Ministry of Education (MOE) has taken the initiative to organize Astronomy Workshop for primary and secondary school teachers annually since 2008. The workshop is organized to provide a platform for local science teachers to enhance their basic knowledge about astronomy and space science topics in relation to the current school curriculum. It is hoping that they would acquire sufficient information to enhance their teaching and learning activities in classroom. Because of insufficient funding, the workshop can only be held at the National Planetarium, Kuala Lumpur. This has limiting the number of teachers’ participation especially those located far from the National Planetarium, Kuala Lumpur. Therefore not all teachers have the opportunity to attend the workshop particularly those from the eastern region of Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak.

This project proposal is prepared for the consideration of co-organizers to establish a workshop for teachers with a new title “Space Education Seminar 2016: A Space Science Workshop for Educators” on the 25th to 27th August 2016 at the Planetarium Sultan Iskandar, Kuching, Sarawak. Joint organizers of the workshop include Planetarium Sultan Iskandar as the host organizer, National Space Agency of Malaysia (ANGKASA), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Sarawak Education Department (JPN Sarawak) and Sarawak Astronomical Society as the co-organizers.

OBJECTIVES

The Space Education Seminar is proposed to achieve the following objectives:

1. To promote knowledge of astronomy, space science and technology as well as their application among educators;
2. To increase awareness and appreciation of educators the important and benefits of space science and technology to humankind;
3. To enhance educators teaching and learning process using space science educational materials; and
4. To encourage positive interaction between educators and space scientists for future science education.

DATE AND VENUE

The seminar is suggested to be held on the following date and venue:

Date                : 25th – 27th August 2016 (Thursday-Saturday)

PARTICIPANTS

Targeted group of audiences for the seminar are as followed:

Date    :     25th – 26th August 2016 (Thursday-Friday)

Participants  :    a) 30 local primary school science teachers

 b) 30 local secondary school science teachers

Date    :    27th August 2016 (Saturday)

Participants :     a) 30 local primary school science teachers

 b) 30 local secondary school science teachers

 c) 50 other audiences including students, university lecturers and government officers

INSTRUCTORS

Instructors of the seminar are as followed:

1. Mr. Nozomu Sakuraba      Director of JAXA Space Education Center
2. Dr. Yukio Shimizu             JAXA
3. Ms. Mika Hosobata           JAXA
4. Mr. Yuki Ishida                 JAXA
5. Mr. Jong Tze Kian             ANGKASA
6. Instructor(s) from Planetarium Sultan Iskandar

EXPECTED OUTCOME

At the end of the seminar, it is expected the following outcome to be achieved:

1. increase awareness and enhanced understanding among educators, and officials about the important space science and technology and their applications for humankind;
2. generate interest among educators in addressing space science activities for classroom teaching and learning process; and
3. enhance educators’ teaching methods particularly in science topics related to space science and astronomy by using space science educational materials to stimulate students’ interest.

ORGANIZERS

TENTATIVE PROGRAM