SoSE 2018 Emerging Innovations in the Teaching and Learning of Science and Mathematics

Front row, from left: Prof Lee, Abdul Ghani Abdullah, Dr Habibah, Prof Chuah and Prof Faidz with the participants

Symposium on Science Education (SoSE) 2018 welcomed approximately 200 educators nationwide at Sungai Long Campus on 18 August 2018. Held for the fifth time, SoSE 2018 with its theme ‘Emerging Innovations in the Teaching and Learning of Science and Mathematics’ aimed to share innovative and effective teaching methods in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education and create awareness of the current innovative teaching methods and how to embed innovation in the teaching and learning of STEM education. It also aimed to provide networking opportunities for STEM educators from various schools, colleges and universities.

Present at the event were Ministry of Education (MoE) Director of Educational Planning and Research Division Dr Habibah binti Abdul Rahim and spouse Encik Abdul Ghani Abdullah, UTAR President Ir Prof Academician Dato’ Dr Chuah Hean Teik, Vice President for R&D and Commercialisation Prof Ir Dr Lee Sze Wei and UTAR Institute of Postgraduate Studies and Research Director Prof Ts Dr Faidz bin Abd Rahman, staff and teachers from various schools and universities.

Prof Chuah welcomed SoSE 2018 participants and said, “STEM education is dear to our hearts. We were looking into how to promote STEM in primary and secondary schools, hence we set up science workshops all around including Sabah and Sarawak. This particular symposium is important for us to share among ourselves the thoughts and ideas on how to increase the students’ interest in STEM. STEM is not only meant for engineers and scientist; even a Human Resource Manager needs STEM education to perform data analytics to analyse and measure staff performances.”

Prof Chuah (middle) presenting the token of appreciation to Dr Habibah as Prof Faidz looks on

In Dr Habibah’s keynote speech, she said, “We need to create a STEM ecosystem to encourage and support STEM among the young generation. Everyone in the community needs to consciously make an effort to create an ecosystem that promotes the application of science in daily life. Things have moved so rapidly from one generation to another; it has given birth to this generation gap. Thus, it is pertinent for us to understand the younger generation in order to provide what they truly need.” Dr Habibah also shared the importance of STEM in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, jobs that require STEM skills, issues and challenges in STEM education, STEM education concepts and goals and educators’ responsibilities in STEM education.

The symposium was followed by four talks which were conducted over two sessions. The session one was presented by Teacher Educational Institute of Technic Educational Campus lecturer Tan Mun Wai and MRSM Terendak, Melaka Head of Science Department and Persatuan Guru STEM Malaysia Chairman Noorsuhaily bin Ali. Speaking at session two were Politeknik Kuching Sarawak lecturer Ho Rui Jin and SMK Seri Sepang V.R. Adlin Premla. 

Tan presenting her talk

Tan’s talk titled, “Incremental Change” centred on three terms which were Unpack, Focus and Incremental Change. “The term Unpack refers to a state where people throw words at you impulsively. However, it is important that we do not take the words as it is. Instead, we should focus on interpreting the meaning behind the words. The term Focus tells you not to teach everything in one go but to pay attention to training skills that can be translated to other disciplines which promote lifelong learning. Incremental Change is about building one step at a time to see actual progress in students,” said Tan. She added, “We want students to have an explosive knowledge where it is not about how much they know but the ability to continuously learn and master in a short period.”

Noorsuhaily sharing his experience to the audience

Noorsuhaily’s talk titled, “Development of STEM Research Skills through GISC for Secondary School and Sharing on International Competition Involvement” focused on the experiences and the process of international competitions in various countries. He shared ideas on interesting projects which were objective and cost-effective, as well as the benefits of students participating in international competitions. He said, “Teamwork is very important because it requires you to be considerate, understanding, respectful and responsible. I believe students who are exposed to such opportunities will be able to build their soft skills and self-confidence and explore new experiences, cultures and knowledge while building international networks.”

Ho delivering his talk

Ho, who is also a winner of Malaysia Toray Science Foundation (MTSF), presented his talk titled, “Challenge and Learning Barrier in TVET — Possible Solution”. Ho said, “The challenges are the changes in demographic and structural shifts of trade and industries through the emergence of Industrial Revolution 4.0, big data analytics and artificial intelligence. Besides, the developed syllabus is not up-to-date with the industrial demand and it lacks exposure to new technologies. Hence, it is crucial for any country to participate in the on-going industrial revolution to stay relevant technologically while integrating practical STEM activities since early education.”

Adlin explaining her ideas

Adlin delivered her talk titled, “Step by Step: Engage the Abstract” which covered the “One Student, One Test tube” (1S1T) teaching method. It is a method where every student will be given the opportunity to learn everything from the practical session. She said, “This method allows students to grasp information at their own pace while boosting their interest to learn and increasing their confidence. This is because students get hands-on and minds-on experiences as they go through the self-paced learning while acquiring manipulative skills to understand the concepts which are taught in the class.” Previously, Adlin has also won the Anugerah Kajian Tindakan JPN Selangor and Anugerah Guru Inovatif Daerah Sepang.

The symposium also saw two parallel workshops; Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris Assoc Prof Dr B. Balamuralithara conducted a workshop titled, “Design Your Thinking: A Way for Innovative STEM Education” and Sasbadi Learning Solutions Sdn Bhd Learning Design Developer Aizuddin bin Zamani conducted a workshop titled, “Hands-On Engagement with LEGO Education”.

Participants assembling LEGO at the workshop 

Participants discussing design thinking during the workshop

“This is my first time joining the SoSE. I would like to join again next year and I am hoping there will be talks and hands-on workshops that would cover the Physics subject. I have gained information from the insightful talks and the topics were relevant to the current issues,” said Siti Maysarah binti Ahmat from MRSM Tun Ghafar Baba, Jasin, Melaka.

“This is my second time and I hope the valuable lessons I’ve gained will enrich my teaching. The talks have given me a new perspective on different aspects. The skills and methods shared by the speakers were clear and I will consider it in my teaching and I will share it with my students,” said Chow Sed Lie from SMK Convent Taiping.

The workshop was followed by a networking session over refreshment before the symposium ended. 

Exhibition booths at the symposium 

For video and information on SoSE 2018, click https://www.facebook.com/utar4U/videos/279257012867318/  and https://www.utar.edu.my/sose/.