Creating a culture of innovation
In an effort to enhance student achievement in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects, an event called Seminar STEM 2019 was held in Mukah recently.
Organised in collaboration with the participants of the National Professional Qualification for Educational Leaders (NPQEL) programme, the event, which involved students from several schools in Mukah, school community as well as parents, also aims to foster student interest in STEM education. STEM is an approach to learning and development that integrates the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
A day with the national
STEM icon
The event featured national STEM icon, who is also the 2019 Tokoh Guru Adiwira Kebangsaan, Norhailmi Abdul Mutalib, who shared about the thrill of learning STEM through his experiences in various programmes abroad.
The Science’s Guru Cemerlang from SMK Jerlun, Kedah also delivered talks as well as conducting hands-on workshops with the teachers and students.
STEM innovation workshop
Also included in the programme was a STEM innovation workshop for SMK St. Patrick teachers, where a number of Guru Inovasi in Malay, English and Moral Education subjects from SMK Dalat were invited to attend the workshop.
In addition to sharing their experiences in innovating, the teachers also exchanged ideas on the various innovation competitions that they have participated in which they have won numerous achievements.
Through this sharing session, it is expected that the discussion can enhance the teachers’ knowledge in producing innovations especially in teaching and facilitating methods in the classroom.
In addition, it is also hoped that it will create a culture of innovation among teachers that can boost their school’s achievements in various fields in line with the School Transformation 2025 (TS25) aspiration to produce quality schools.
Parents involvement in STEM
A workshop that emphasised parental involvement in STEM was also held during that day. This inaugural STEM workshop for parents, was part of a long-term initiative to foster awareness among parents about the importance of STEM in life as well as to foster closer relationships between teachers and parents.
Most parents respond positively to the workshop and hope that it continues in the future.
A hands-on activity that required parents to produce a bridge replica using recycled and reused materials was carried out where their work was evaluated in terms of design and durability.
At the end of the workshop, the top three groups received prizes from the organiser. All parents who were present also received a pack of urea fertilisers donated by Asean Bintulu Fertilizer Sdn Bhd.
Dynamic change in school
According to the programme coordinator, Donny Dahlan, the event has achieved its goals and has been effective in fostering relationships among school management, teachers, parents and students, which is an important factor in contributing to the success of a school.
“Today’s education is undergoing a very dynamic change. Therefore, teachers, students and parents also need to move side by side and complement each other so that schools can be competitive, and thus produce quality students who are capable of coping with a challenging world,” he stressed.
