by OPI
Profs. Ellen J. Castro, Jun Karren V. Caparoso and Charity Mulig-Cruz, faculty members of the Department of Science and Mathematics Education and Integrated Developmental School of the College of Education (CEd) attended the Training of Trainers on Inquiry-based Science Teaching Approach at Punta de Fabian Resort, Baras, Rizal on May 5-8, 2015.
The Department of Science and Technology-Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI) conducted the five-day training as part of its STAR (Science Teacher Academy for the Regions) Project.
It aimed to train Science Education professors in the teaching of Science using the Inquiry Approach, which is an important feature of the K to 12 Science Curriculum. Five science teachers of Philippine Science High School-Central Luzon Campus successfully facilitated the training and demonstrated sample lessons and activities on select topics from the K to 12 Science Curriculums in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Earth and Space Science and Research/Investigatory Projects for Grades 7 and 8.
Participating in the said activity were the Science Education professors/instructors from Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU-Laoag), West Visayas State University (WVSU), Bicol University (BU), Central Luzon State University (CLSU) and MSU-IIT.
Representatives from the DepEd Regional Offices for Regions I,III,VI, and X of the participating schools were also present. Working in groups, they developed sample inquiry lesson plans which were presented and critiqued. A meaningful discussion which focused primarily on the sequencing of the topics, appropriateness of assessment tools and strategy, and readiness of learners for a certain task followed after every lesson presentation.
Representatives of the participating universities, together with their DepEd regional supervisors, worked on their respective action plan and training design for the regional in-service training which will then be participated by four Master Teachers and one Education Program Supervisor (in Science) from each division of the region.
The Master Teachers, assumed to be representing the four fields of specialization in Science, are expected to echo the training in their respective divisions while the Education Program Supervisors is tasked to provide the necessary support to ensure the success of the activity. For Region X, it was agreed that DepEd Regional Office, through Mr. Marino O. Dal, will communicate with the participants of the echo training and take charge of their accommodation while DOST-SEI shall provide the training materials and food. MSU-IIT will provide the venue and the trainers for the said activity, which is tentatively scheduled on August 12 to 14.
The just concluded training of trainers and the upcoming regional in-service training are just two of the many activities organized by CED and DOST-SEI under the STAR project. Last year, three Mathematics Education faculty members of the college were trained in “Teaching Elementary Math through Problem Solving” and successfully conducted several echo trainings in Regions IX and X.
MSU-IIT is one of the universities which signed a Memorandum of Understanding with DOST-SEI on December 2, 2014 for the STAR Project.
