Abstract Book of the 2nd World Conference on Teaching, Learning, and Education
Year: 2025
[PDF]
Science Communication as a Medium of Teaching and Learning: An Interdisciplinary Programme in Selected Secondary Schools in the Limpopo Province. South Africa
Lucky Moamba, Cuzette du Plessis, Mahunele Thotse & Tebogo Malahlela
ABSTRACT:
In 2022, the University of Limpopo received a letter from a circuit manager requesting assistance in several subjects for secondary school learners due to poor performance in previous years. The University of Limpopo’s Community Engagement Unit collaborated with a number of faculties/departments within the university to develop a programme that responds to the request. Through student volunteerism, the Integrated School Support Programme (ISSP) was developed to tackle the challenges of poor performance faced by the circuit. In this programme, science communication is used as a medium of teaching and learning whereby university student volunteers go to different schools to assist learners in grades 8 to 12 with challenging subject-specific topics in Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Agricultural Science, Economics, Accounting, etc. The use of science communication as a medium of teaching and learning in schools introduces learners to a new and interesting method of learning that is different from the traditional teaching approach used by their educators on a daily basis. The programme’s success has seen more and more schools requesting to be included in the programme. Since inception, more than three thousand nine hundred and fortyone (3 941) secondary school learners have benefited from this programme, with participating schools achieving an average of eighty eight percent (88%) and above overall pass rate.
Keywords: Circuit; Circuit Manager; Community Engagement; Medium; Student Volunteerism