DIGITAL LIBRARY
SCIENTIFIC LITERACY; ADVOCACY FOR SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY EDUCATION (STSEE) IN NIGERIAN POLYTECHNICS
Osun State College of Technology (NIGERIA)
About this paper:
Appears in: EDULEARN10 Proceedings
Publication year: 2010
Pages: 5221-5225
ISBN: 978-84-613-9386-2
ISSN: 2340-1117
Conference name: 2nd International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies
Dates: 5-7 July, 2010
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Abstract:
A great deal of the world attention is currently being given to issues considered to be of global contemporary importance. Some of which include environmental degradation, global climatic change, poverty alleviation, population explosion and HIV/Aids scourge. The paper discussed and highlighted the shortcomings of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) curriculum for general Biology designed for non science students in the polytechnics. It considered STSEE as a more acceptable alternative to bridge the knowledge gap in science and technology and its impact on the society, and to enhance our level of scientific literacy. The paper recommended that a curriculum conference be convened to overhaul the NBTE curriculum for general studies (Biology) to reflect contemporary issues of the day. The conference should consist of stakeholders in the field who will work on integrating factors like course content; teaching methodologies and feedback mechanism to produce a curriculum on STSEE that is relevant to Nigeria of today .The curriculum should be open ended to accommodate real and envisaged changes and the influence of globalization. Government should make real efforts at funding the sector to bring about innovations and creativity in teachers through incentives, workshops and training.