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Chowdhury, Pinaki
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An Introspection of High School Science Education from South Africa Chowdhury, Pinaki
Unnes Science Education Journal Vol 12 No 3 (2023): December 2023
Publisher : Department of Integrated Science, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Semarang in Collaboration with Perkumpulan Pendidikan IPA Indonesia

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.15294/usej.v12i3.74644

Abstract

This century, the twenty-first century, is a century of science and technology explosion. This is the period when the boon of science has arrived in almost every corner of the world. One such example is exposure to information (data) using a cell phone, bypassing a computer. This has made information available to the masses at a much cheaper rate and with less difficulty. This has become possible only because of the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)-trained workforces developed by STEM education over the years. One more important aspect of the twenty-first century is the demand for more and more STEM workforces at all levels. As a result, every country is planning hard to achieve their goal of getting more and more STEM-trained workforces for the sustenance of social and economic growth using both the immigration channel and high school STEM education development programs. In order to keep pace, the South African education system is also undergoing changes. Significant adjustments are made in the high school education system to reflect the post-apartheid era's worldview and correct pre-apartheid era-induced mistakes. The 1996 South African Schools’ Act is the beginning of changes in the South African school education system. The purpose of this study is to ascertain whether there has been any improvement in STEM education in general and physical science in particular after all these changes were implemented in the South African school system. The purpose of this study is to establish the empirical hallmark of changes in high school physical science teaching outcomes using a sample from rural South African schools for a period of 2008 to 2018. This study collected secondary data from the national senior certificate examination (NSCE) data base to analyse the teaching-learning outcomes of physical science within a rural school district in the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa. A quantitative analytic method was used to analyse the set of secondary data thus collected. The study concludes that, during the observed period, there has been statistically insignificant improvement in learners' performance in physical science, and there exists a room for introspection regarding the state of high school science teaching processes in order to improve the quality of STEM education in the country.
Reducing Math Anxiety and Strengthening STEM Pathways: A Conceptual-Pedagogical Approach Chowdhury, Pinaki
Unnes Journal of Mathematics Education Vol. 14 No. 2 (2025): Reguler Issue
Publisher : Universitas Negeri Semarang

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.15294/ujme.v14i2.23263

Abstract

The development of skills among students in STEM fields is not only a pressing concern in countries like India and South Africa — it is a universal need. In an increasingly technology-driven world, building cognitive strength, attention capacity, and analytical reasoning from an early age has become a foundational requirement in education. While both India and South Africa have made progress in schooling, significant challenges remain, particularly in nurturing the critical thinking disposition among learners. This paper compares the two systems to observe visible gaps, especially in high school education, and examines how these gaps begin forming as early as childhood. The idea of learning through the body, particularly through the use of fingers, is explored with the support of Vedic mathematical techniques. A three-stage pedagogical approach is proposed, which not only introduces number concepts at an early age but also builds a bridge between the concrete and the abstract. This organic and tactile method reduces mathematics anxiety and fosters resilience. The Indian school system’s restriction on calculator use until Grade 12 is noted to preserve cognitive engagement, whereas early reliance on calculators in South Africa may unintentionally hinder analytical development. This paper ultimately suggests that using one’s own body as a natural learning tool not only improves numerical fluency but also cultivates a stronger critical thinking disposition, which is essential for solving the larger issue of STEM skill shortages in the future.
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