VULA PROGRAMME at HILTON COLLEGE
VULA PROGRAMME at HILTON COLLEGE
CENTRE FOR INNOVATION
Hilton College Private Bag 6001 Hilton 3245 KwaZulu-Natal
Telephone (033) 383 0100 Fax (033) 383 0163
Vula Programme at Hilton College
Science Project
Third and Fourth Quarter Reports
as well as an overview of the project’s activities
for the year
For submission to the trustees
of the Victor Daitz Foundation
November 2012
[pic]
Science educators working with batteries – a first for some, despite the fact
that all of them teach electricity in their Science lessons.
Report prepared by:
Lloyd Smuts
Director of Outreach
Vula Programme at Hilton College
Tel: (033) 383 0100
LS@
We are pleased to submit this report for consideration by the trustees of the Victor Daitz Foundation.
The foundation generously contributed towards the costs of our Vula Science Project in 2012, and this report is in accordance with the reporting guidelines which are attached to the grant.
First and second quarter reports (covering the first six months of the year) were submitted during the course of the year, and this report constitutes the following:
• The third quarter report for 2012,
• The fourth quarter report for 2012,
• As the project’s activities for the year have now ended, an overview of, and comments on, each of the components of the project during 2012, and
• Some thoughts about the intended project components for 2013.
Accordingly, this report contains detailed sections on each of the following components, which are numbered as follows:
1. The Educator Intervention Programme,
2. The Top Learner Programme,
3. Science Expo,
4. Grade 11 and 12 Learner Intervention, and
5. The Vula Science Camp
We hope that our reports to the trustees during the year were both interesting and informative, and that the trustees are of the opinion that the foundation’s contribution to our Science Project was funds well spent on a worthy cause.
The work of the Vula Science Project will continue in 2013, as indicated in this report.
Further support from the foundation will, of course, be greatly appreciated if the trustees agree to this.
Could you please let me know if an application for 2013 is required from the Vula Programme.
I am also available to answer any queries or questions which may arise.
Lloyd Smuts
LS@
16 November 2012
1. The Educator Intervention Programme
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Physical Science involves investigation, experimentation, and analysing data. In the Science classroom learners need to experience practical work – be it a demonstration by the educator, or by themselves. This does not happen in many of the schools with which the Vula Programme works. There are educators who desire to do practical work, but for many reasons do not. Some of the reasons for this are a lack of equipment, lack of suitable facilities or lack of confidence in their abilities to conduct practical lesson. The Vula Programme has some equipment available for educators to borrow.
By providing this intervention for educators, the Vula Science Project is able to impact on a greater number of learners.
[pic]
ZamaZulu Group – hands-on work dealing with electromagnetism
Nature of the intervention during 2012
• Attendance at workshops is by invitation. This is to reduce the number of people attending. Amount of equipment that the programme can provide is limited and it is desirable that each educator attending be able to have hands-on experience.
• Two main groups were established:
• Group 1 meeting at ZamaZulu High School in Imbali with educators invited from Fundokuhle, Nsikayethu, Ikusaselihle, Umlulama, Siqongweni and ZamaZulu High Schools, and
• Group 2 meeting at Zenzeleni Centre in Mpophomeni with invited educators from Mpophomeni, Asibemunye, Mconjwana, Injoloba, Sibanesihle, Mlungisi High Schools and Langsyde, Shea O’Connor, Chibelihle Combined Schools.
• Workshops, up to 5 hour in duration with refreshment breaks, were conducted by the Vula Science Project Co-ordinator Mr Michael Bennett. Topics for each workshop were centred on aspects of the syllabus that were currently being covered, or shortly would be, at the Grade 11 and 12 levels.
• Workshops were held every 3 to 4 weeks - both groups having the same topic.
• The Vula Programme paid for the yearly subscription to CASME so enabling educators to borrow their teaching equipment. The CASME office is situated at the Plessislaer campus of the local FET College in Edendale, Pietermaritzburg.
• Workshop sessions were arranged so that they did not clash with cluster meetings or with the Khanyisa Educator Programme run by Maritzburg College.
[pic]
Project co-ordinator with educators from Mpophomeni
Record of activities during the year
|DATE |GROUP |NUMBER OF EDUCATORS ATTENDING |NUMBER OF SCHOOLS REPRESENTED |TOPIC OF WORKSHOP |
|2-2-2012 |1 |9 |5 |Mechanics |
| | | | |(Force and Motion) |
|9-2-2012 |2 |11 |7 | |
|1-3-2012 |1 |6 |3 |Rates of Reaction |
|2-3-2012 |2 |12 |9 | |
|19-4-2012 |1 |7 |5 |Chemical Equilibrium |
|20-4-2012 |2 |10 |7 | |
|10-5-2012 |1 |8 |5 |Waves and Light |
|11-5-2012 |2 |10 |7 | |
|31-5-2012 |1 |6 |4 |Electromagnetism |
|1-6-2012 |2 |9 |7 | |
Comments from the project co-ordinator
• Positive progress was made in the workshops. The confidence of the educators in handling equipment was improving. It was felt that this would have continued had the programme not been disrupted by the illness, in June, of the project co-ordinator
• For some of the educators it was a first time experience in handling equipment – for example, many of the educators had never before produced a magnetic field pattern using iron filings. The excitement was wonderful to witness.
• Twenty seven educators attended at least one of the workshops, while there was a regular core of 17 educators who had an 80% or more attendance. This clearly indicated that there was a need for such workshops, and that they were of value.
• The challenge was made to implement some practical work, so it was pleasing to be able to lend equipment to some of the educators. In one case a pupil experiment, with success, was conducted in a class of 70 learners!
• In another instance, the project co-ordinator started off a practical lesson with a Grade 11 class and the educator continued and finished it. This model needs to be explored to further build the confidence of the educators. It is not easy to conduct a practical lesson without experience for a large group, in a normal classroom.
• There was encouraging support from the KZN education Department’s Science Subject Adviser.
• The local branch of CASME does have some equipment available for loan. It is another source of equipment and schools were encouraged to use this service. Two schools took up this offer. There are logistics involved in getting this equipment. One cannot borrow sufficient for a class group practical. However this should not be a deterrent, for a demonstration lesson is better than nothing.
• It is our intention to increase the number of groups in 2013. The idea is to create four centres (groups), namely:
1. The existing one meeting at ZamaZulu (about 6 schools)
2. A smaller group at the Zenzeleni centre for schools in the Mpophomeni vicinity (about 6 schools)
3. A group in the Elandskop/Vulindlela area (about 5 schools)
4. A group in the Nottingham Road/Mooi River area (about 5 schools)
[pic]
Pondering over a science problem
2. The Top Learner Programme
[pic]
Project co-ordinator Michael Bennett with the top-learner group from Mpophomeni High School
The Vula Programme does not work at schools which under-perform or which do not have motivated educators – so why are there so few top grade passes? Is it because there is such an emphasis on getting learners to pass that insufficient time is given to the top learners in the class?
It was this that led to the creation of the “Top Learner Programme” at the beginning of 2012. The thinking behind this intervention is that while Vula Science may have some effect on the pass rate at a school it certainly could have a greater influence on raising the levels of performance of the top performing learners in a class group. These are also the young people who could be following science based careers and need bursaries.
|SCHOOL |NUMBER OF LEARNERS |NUMBER OF SESSIONS |
| | |Term 1 Term 2 |
|ZamaZulu Secondary School, Imbali, |9 (7 boys + 2 girls) | 4 3 |
|Pietermaritzburg | | |
|Mconjwana High School, |9 (7 boys + 2 girls) | 1 3 |
|Haza, near Mpophomeni | | |
|Mpophomeni High School, |8 (5 boys + 3 girls) | 4 3 |
|Mpophomeni | | |
|Asibemunye High School, Mpophomeni |7 (7 boys) | 4 3 |
|Injoloba High School, KwaMevana, Howick |3 (3 girls) | 4 3 |
|KwaMncane High School, Elandskop |8 (6 boys + 2 girls) | 2 4 |
|Langsyde Combined School, Elandskop |9 (5 boys + 4 girls) | 2 4 |
|Shea O’Connor Combined School, Nottingham Road |3 (3 boys) |0 |
(8 Participating Schools, 56 Learners and 24 Sessions)
Nature of the intervention during 2012
• Top performing learners in Grade 12 Physical Sciences class were selected by the relevant school using the Grade 11 Physical Sciences and Mathematics final examination results.
• Sessions of 1 – 1 ½ hours were conducted by the Science Project co-ordinator, Mr Michael Bennett. These sessions took place after school hours every 2/3 weeks.
• Learners from Mpophomeni, Asibemunye and Injoloba met at the Zenzeleni Community Centre in Mpophomeni. Learners from KwaMncane and Langsyde met at Langsyde, while learners from ZamaZulu and Mconjwana met separately at their own schools. No visits were made to Shea O’Connor (distance and time being the factor) – instead material was made available to them.
• Materials in each session related to what the learners were studying, or had recently studied, in their Physical Science classes. The presentations were used to challenge the learners and required them to perform at an advanced level (above the 80 percentile) of scientific thinking.
• Attendance was compulsory. Failure (without good reason) to attend and/or poor performance in the classroom, resulted in omission from the group and an opportunity for another learner to join.
• A three day “Science Camp” for all the learners was arranged in the first week of the Easter holidays. This took place at Twinstreams Environmental Education Centre in Mtunzini on the KwaZulu Natal North Coast – 50 km south of Richards Bay. The centre is run under the auspices of The Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (WESSA).
Comments from the project co-ordinator
Due to the illness of the co-ordinator, who was on sick leave from the middle of June to the end of September, the programme’s activities were reduced to the first two terms. Nonetheless, the following comments are pertinent:
• Only two learners dropped out of the programme, while ten joined over the two terms. A good sign, for it indicates that value is seen in the intervention.
• Learners battled at first with the method of instruction. They were not used to being challenged and having to explain their thinking.
• Confidence grew with time – this led to some meaningful sessions. Better things start to happen when one begins to believe in one’s abilities.
• Speaking to educators, it was clear that some of the learners in the programme had become more motivated in their normal day to day lessons. This particularly applied to those that had a tendency to be inconsistent in their working habits.
• Difficulties in arranging suitable times to meet did exist – as was the case with Mconjwana High School in the first term. It was certainly advantageous in having a group of schools meeting together – the schedule is easier to arrange and it is good for the top learners from different schools to meet together.
• A learner commented –“As a science learner I have to think outside the box, not just looking at things in front of you, but being broad” - this is the kind of result that this intervention is striving for.
3. Science Expo
The Vula Science Project has been involved with a Science Expo at Shea O’Connor Combined School (formerly Nottingham Road Combined School) since 2010. This involvement started with a project on Biogas by a group of three Grade 7 learners in 2009 who asked for help in conducting an investigation. The interest shown by these learners and the Natural Science educators lead to the formalising of an Expo for all the Grade 9 Learners in 2010. The success of this venture encouraged the educators to have an Expo in 2011 and again in 2012.
Nature of the intervention during 2012
• An introductory workshop was conducted for the ninety Grade 9 learners by the Vula Science co-ordinator. The stages required to be followed in a scientific investigation were explained. The learners then conducted a short investigation to enhance the concepts learned.
• The learners, with the aid of their educators, had to decide on a topic for investigation within a week of the workshop. Planning and execution were expected to commence as soon as possible thereafter.
• The learners worked either singly or in pairs. It was compulsory for all in Grade 9, while interested Grade 10 and 11 learners were encouraged to participate.
• A follow up session took place a month after the introductory workshop. This checked on progress and guided learners in their investigations, particularly those who were floundering.
• The Expo took place toward the middle of the second term at which the Vula Science Co-ordinator helped with the judging process and overall organisation.
• The best projects at the Expo were entered in the Eskom KZN Regional Expo in Durban at the beginning of the third term.
• The Vula Programme undertook to provide some of the prizes for the internal Expo, and to cover the entry costs to the regional Expo in Durban.
• The marks awarded, for the Grade 9 projects, in the internal Expo, were used towards the year-end learner’s continuous assessment score in Natural Science.
Programme
|DATE |EVENT |DETAILS |
|15-2-2012 |Introductory Workshop |90 Grade 9 Learners |
|20-3-2012 |Follow up Session |1 hour for each of the two Grade 9 classes |
|25-5-2012 |Internal Expo and Prize Giving |46 Grade 9 Projects, 6 Grade 10 Projects, |
| | |1 Grade 11 Project – Total of 105 Learners |
| | |Prizes awarded: Grade 9 – 1st, 2nd, and 3rd |
| | |Grade 10 – 1st |
| | |Overall: Best Presenter, Best poster, Most Creative project and most |
| | |impressive at answering questions |
|13-6-2012 |Follow up session for groups attending Regional |14 Learners (7 Projects) |
| |Expo | |
|27-7-2012 |Eskom KZN Regional Expo for Young Scientists – |14 Learners (7 Projects) |
| |Durban |Awards received: 1 Bronze & 1 Silver |
|3 to 6-10-2012 |Eskom Expo for Young Scientists International |2 Learners (1 Project) |
| |Science Fair - Johannesburg | |
[pic]
Project on Water Drainage which was invited to the International Science Fair in Gauteng
Comments from the project co-ordinator
• This was a most successful and rewarding intervention with many positive outcomes and the Shea O’Connor Science educators are to be commended on the standard and efficiency of their in-house Expo,
• The quality of the projects, and the scientific principles applied in conducting them, showed a marked improvement on those presented in 2011.
• It was clear that more follow up sessions are required prior to the Expo. Several projects went off on a tangent and missed the purpose of the investigation.
• The prize giving ceremony took place with the whole school present – this made the winners feel proud and motivated. The school management clearly places importance on the value of the Expo in promoting academic achievement.
• Judging projects is not easy - one can be impressed by a display that is colourful and organised, or by a learner who has the gift of the ‘gab’. Attention needs to be paid to this aspect so that learners do not receive inflated marks, only to be disappointed at the Regional Expo. A request has been made by the school for a Judges Workshop prior to the 2013 Expo.
• There is no doubt that the quality of science education offered at this school is showing improvement. The Expo experience has, and is, helping this. It was pleasing to see the improvement in the projects after the follow-up session for those selected to attend the Regional Expo. This was evident in two of the projects, one of which received a bronze and the other a silver medal. The silver medal project was invited to the International Expo in Johannesburg in October.
• Plans are in hand for an Expo in 2013 – aspects identified for improvement are judging, follow up sessions, grouping of projects in the display area to facilitate standardisation, and the use of 2012 award winners as role models.
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4. Grade 11 and 12 Learner Intervention
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Assistance with practical and demonstration lessons at the Grade 11 and 12 levels has been provided to Vula-affiliated schools for a number of years. These sessions have been successful in re-enforcing the concepts taught by the educator and learners have definitely obtained a clearer understanding.
In 2011 eight schools were visited – visits ranging from every week to once a month. The number of schools visited in 2012 was reduced to four (on a three weekly cycle) with an occasional visit to two others. This arose because of the introduction of an educator intervention programme.
Nature of the intervention during 2012
• The schools visited every three weeks were Mpophomeni and Mconjwana in the Mpophomeni area and KwaMncane and Langsyde in the Elandskop area. Chebilihle in the Impendle district and Shea O’Connor in Nottingham Road were visited less frequently (once or twice per term).
• The demonstration lessons were conducted by the Science co-ordinator. The topics of these lessons were at the request of the relevant educators.
• The lessons took place at the schools during school time, generally during the last one or two periods of the school day.
• Suitable worksheets and supporting revision material was provided at each lesson.
• Equipment for demonstration lessons was borrowed from the Hilton College Science Department.
Comments from the project co-ordinator
• This programme assisted 212 Grade 11 and 214 Grade 12 learners from the six schools involved.
• When presenting a demonstration lesson one has to allow time for the learners to assimilate what is happening in front of them – they are not familiar with scientific equipment and have to match what they read about in a textbook with what they are seeing – this takes time. It is so easy for the presenter to take things for granted and to proceed too quickly.
• From the expressions coming from learners, it was clear that the sessions are meaningful and relevant. Learning is being reinforced, particularly for those who are industrious.
• For the young and inexperienced educator, these lessons serve as a learning experience in that they experience a different presentation and teaching style.
• This form of intervention will continue in 2013 on a more flexible basis due to a greater commitment to Educator development by the Vula Programme. Examination preparation and revision sessions will be the focus of the second half of the year.
[pic]
Demonstration lesson by the Vula Science co-ordinator, Michael Bennett
• A good working relationship exists with the Hilton College Science Department – and this has been of great benefit to the Vula Programme throughout the year.
5. Vula Science Camp
This important teaching and enrichment camp took place at the WESSA Twin Streams facility near Mtunzini from 26 to 29 March. It was attended by 43 of the “top learner” group and four of their educators.
The pictures below record some of the activities undertaken at the camp:
[pic]
Groupwork presentations on research topics
Nature of the intervention during 2012
The Twinstreams Environmental Education Centre offers a wide variety of challenging educational courses suitable for a range of abilities - from primary to secondary school level and even beyond. Many of these courses have a built in research component so that participants obtain a relevant and meaningful learning experience. These courses have been carefully structured to comply with the requirements of the National School Curriculum.
Three research topics were chosen. Each topic gave insight into how any form of scientific research should be conducted. Experienced facilitators managed and supported the learners as they worked. The 43 learners were divided into 3 groups, each having a different area of study.
Comments from the project co-ordinator
This year’s Science Camp was again a life-changing experience for the Grade 12
learners who attended – as can be seen from the written comments received from the participants, and also from subsequent feedback received from their educators and principals once the learners had returned to their schools after the holidays.
The participants had been selected for their abilities in Maths and Science. The
programme of activities at Twin Streams was put together taking this into account and
the learners were extended and challenged way beyond the levels of academic input they were
accustomed to at their schools.
It will thus be interesting to receive the Grade 12 results of those who attended the
camp when these are released in January 2013. It will also be interesting to compare
these with the results obtained by the learners a year earlier at the end of Grade 11.
There can be no doubt that the Grade 12 Science Camp was a hugely motivating
experience for those who were lucky enough to attend.
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