How to improve science education

In the present day, science has become an indispensable tool to take decisions. And we need to counteract the rise of anti-science and the fake news going around. So, here is my opinion of how we can improve science education.

First, our syllabuses in the science subjects should always consult and be linked with syllabuses in other countries because we are too small and can be easily led astray by conflicts of interests, like succeeding at all costs and living in a soap bubble. Traditionally, we have always followed the syllabuses in the UK, which has a rich history in science.

Children at a science puppet show at Tritons Square, Valletta during a past edition of Science in the City. Photo: Elisa Von Brockdorff/ University of Malta

Secondly, we should never discard textbooks. I sadly note that there are teachers who have discarded textbooks that have proven to be valid in the UK. I am talking about the UK because we normally import the science textbooks from there. Relying only on a pack of notes compiled by the teacher may lead to students being restricted by the closed vision of the teacher.

Thirdly, science education should teach the scientific method: the search for truth based on evidence and data and the use of logical argumentation. So, I think it is incorrect to view science education just as giving information. The scientific method means one should consider all the information, even that which does not agree with your perception of reality, and consult with that information which makes you feel uncomfortable. The scientific method is a skill that everyone should have for use in all situations: a teenager would use this skill to avoid dangerous situations and a citizen would use this skill to vote.

Then, the national examination papers should be up to standard, since teachers normally tend to teach what is set in the exam papers. I know of several instances in the physics advanced Matsec paper where the answers were unrealistic, the questions had misconceptions, were written in a vague language or where the paper could have tested more reliably the subject. An examination should also test whether the students know how to use the scientific method.

Also, if science uses experiments and observation as tools to discover and demonstrate new principles, then these should be part and parcel of science education. And, wherever possible, we should link the knowledge to our local situation: like, in biology, the students should become familiar with our highly rich flora and fauna.

I also think that science at the primary school level should be taught by teachers who have a grounding in science. Otherwise, mistaken ideas are transmitted, which are then hard to unlearn.

Joe Portelli – Nadur