Abstract
Modular Mobile Education: Science Experiments (MOBILIM) is an innovative pilot project for the vocational education of science teachers in a rural region in central Turkey. In this project, a mobile science laboratory was established to address great disparities in opportunities between science teaching in urban and rural regions. One of the important reasons for disparities in the standards of science teaching is the gap in teacher training and subject knowledge. Training via MOBILIM is based on hands-on and demonstration practical activities. At the end of the mobile phase a two-day conference was organized to provide an
opportunity for discussion to make it possible to exchange ideas and experiences with European partners. Results indicate that in order to improve the teachers’ practice in the classroom, experimental vocational education via mobile laboratories are needed. The majority of the teachers were pleased to participate in both the training phase and the subsequent project conference. There is high expectation to carry on with similar courses in the future and all of the teachers involved want to become a more active teaching force.
The MOBILIM project has reached out and benefited 223 science teachers (130 male, 93 female) in Yozgat via the Mobile Science Laboratory (MSL) to give experimental vocational education. The target group was categorized into 15 groups in 10 different towns. Each teacher was permitted to participate for one week by their local education authority.
Academic staff from Bozok University led the vocational education sessions. A four day education program was delivered to all participating groups. In the first day a ‘science is fun’ set of 30 demonstrations were introduced. In the other days 25 physics, 27 chemistry and 18 biology experiments were introduced to the science teachers. The vocational education was applied in three stages: (i) To emphasize the ‘science is fun’ aspect; (ii) Performing experiments in the MSL; (iii) The reorganization of the laboratories of participant teachers’ school by the help of academic staff to make them more efficient.
When the schedules allowed the training coordinator created the opportunity for teachers bring their own students to the MSL. In total 982 students experienced practical sessions in the MSL for themselves.
Amongst the objectives of this vocational education project were to construct a network of teachers interested in new science teaching techniques, to provide a vehicle for discussion so as to make it possible to exchange ideas and experiences, to create an opportunity for the teachers to obtain some new ideas for science fairs and to develop internet resources for the use of other science teachers in rural regions. The MOBİLİM web site (http://mobilim.bozok.edu.tr/) and g-mail group are used to communicate with teachers and exchange ideas and experiences among the different participants.
opportunity for discussion to make it possible to exchange ideas and experiences with European partners. Results indicate that in order to improve the teachers’ practice in the classroom, experimental vocational education via mobile laboratories are needed. The majority of the teachers were pleased to participate in both the training phase and the subsequent project conference. There is high expectation to carry on with similar courses in the future and all of the teachers involved want to become a more active teaching force.
The MOBILIM project has reached out and benefited 223 science teachers (130 male, 93 female) in Yozgat via the Mobile Science Laboratory (MSL) to give experimental vocational education. The target group was categorized into 15 groups in 10 different towns. Each teacher was permitted to participate for one week by their local education authority.
Academic staff from Bozok University led the vocational education sessions. A four day education program was delivered to all participating groups. In the first day a ‘science is fun’ set of 30 demonstrations were introduced. In the other days 25 physics, 27 chemistry and 18 biology experiments were introduced to the science teachers. The vocational education was applied in three stages: (i) To emphasize the ‘science is fun’ aspect; (ii) Performing experiments in the MSL; (iii) The reorganization of the laboratories of participant teachers’ school by the help of academic staff to make them more efficient.
When the schedules allowed the training coordinator created the opportunity for teachers bring their own students to the MSL. In total 982 students experienced practical sessions in the MSL for themselves.
Amongst the objectives of this vocational education project were to construct a network of teachers interested in new science teaching techniques, to provide a vehicle for discussion so as to make it possible to exchange ideas and experiences, to create an opportunity for the teachers to obtain some new ideas for science fairs and to develop internet resources for the use of other science teachers in rural regions. The MOBİLİM web site (http://mobilim.bozok.edu.tr/) and g-mail group are used to communicate with teachers and exchange ideas and experiences among the different participants.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Place of Publication | Turkey |
| Publisher | Bozok University, Turkey |
| Number of pages | 56 |
| Publication status | Published - 2010 |
Bibliographical note
This project is supported by Center for European Union Education and Youth Programmes within theLifelong Learning Program Leonardo da Vinci Transfer of Innovation projects.