Enhancing undergraduate understanding of hydro-climatic studies in the environmental cohort using the GLOBE led inquiry-based learning approach.
Teaching practices are context specific, thus we focus this study on enhancing the inquiry-based learning (IBL) in teacher education. The South African physical science curriculum (DBE, 2011b) supports the teaching and learning of science through inquiry and learners are expected to be involved in practical investigations. However, South African preservice teachers who join universities are not confident to implement inquiry approaches when they join the teaching stream. Some researchers have blamed in part on the inadequacy of resources (Akuma & Callaghan, 2019) and knowledge (Gaigher, Lederman, & Lederman, 2014). It is on this basis that, we formulate the following research question to serve as a guide in this study. To what extent will GLOBE methods enhance pre-service teachers to implementation IBL in their teaching? An understanding of teacher training (in this case linked to the inclusion of GLOBE methods as a form of IBL) is crucial while responding to challenges teachers encounter while introducing hydro-climatic sciences in a classroom experience. The study holds same in mind with (Kazempour & Aidin, 2014) that when we focus on professional development will subsequently improve student attainment through improved classroom engagement.
This research will attempt to investigate the integration of GLOBE protocols into hydro-climatic studies, in the environmental undergraduate science courses. The research will be conducted at the Department of Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorology, University of Pretoria. A fund has been approved to carry out this study and preliminary results shall be shared in washington 2020 and also at a conference in December.
