The advantage of VLs lies in their capacity for simulating real-world lab experiences within a fully immersive digital environment, yet the uptake in rural schools in developing countries remains low. To understand this paradox, this study explores the perceptions of seven secondary school science teachers in a rural district in South Africa.…

This research reports the assessment of pre-service teachers' reception and attitudes towards virtual laboratory experiments in Life Sciences with the aim of advancing adaptability to digital learning. Using sequential mixed-methods in a quasi-experimental design, 68 pre-service teachers in the 3rd year of a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) program…

It is commonly accepted that learners gain better understanding of science concepts when they perform 'hands-on' experiments in the lab. However, the lack of lab infrastructure, particularly in most rural schools, negatively affects the teaching of science. With the increasing potential of ICT to education, virtual laboratories (VL) have emerged…

The purpose of the study reported on here was to investigate the role of partnerships in helping in-service teachers overcome the difficulties associated with performing practical work prescribed in the Life Sciences Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), an educational policy intended to transform the South African school curriculum…

This mixed methods research explored the autonomous experiences of South African school students when participating in a science fair. A prominent global goal for school science education is for students to partake in scientific inquiry in order to acquire understanding of science concepts, the processes and skills of science, and the nature of…

Inquiry-based approaches to science education are central to recent South African primary and secondary school curricula, but have been found challenging to adopt in disadvantaged township contexts. It is therefore important to find ways of introducing inquiry-based approaches, where pupils are encouraged to investigate phenomena they are…

This paper explores the experiences of 37 physical science high school teachers who participated in a professional development (PD) programme coordinated by three Experimento multipliers. The Experimento programme is a Siemens Stiftung international educational programme aimed at providing didactic and methodological approaches to classroom…

Vivisection (live animal experimentation) is a controversial issue for many people. The purpose of this case study is to examine the attitudes of prospective teachers toward vivisection in education and research, to determine if gender has an influence on these attitudes, and to discuss the implications of these attitudes with regard to teaching…

Reduced costs and greater time efficiency are often quoted among the main benefits of microscale chemistry. Do these benefits outweigh some of the limitations and difficulties faced in terms of students needing to develop new manipulation skills, and teachers requiring training in terms of implementation and management? This article describes a…

The apartheid policies in South Africa had a marked influence on the accessibility and quality of school science experienced by the different race groups. African learners in particular were seriously disadvantaged in this regard. The issues of equity and redress were foremost in transformation of the education system, and the accompanying…

Given the emphasis on community engagement in higher education, academic departments need to become more involved in the community. This paper discusses a number of outreach activities undertaken by the chemistry department at Rhodes University, South Africa. The activities range from service learning to community engagement with teachers and…

Describes an Introduction to Chemical Engineering course with particular reference to the development, use, and evaluation of four simple experiments centered around the fundamental principles of heat transfer, mass transfer, reaction kinetics, and momentum transfer. (WRM)

Describes an exercise developed at the University of Natal (South Africa) in which students visit a plant which manufactures a variety of lead compounds. Outlines the procedures for the laboratory preparation of lead compounds that students prepare with samples they collected at the plant. (TW)