AsPac science educators vow to collaborate

MANILA, Philippines - Science educators from the Asia-Pacific vowed to engage in collaborative work to further improve the competencies of science and mathematics teachers in the region.

Science Education Institute (SEI) director Ester Ogena said participants in the recent Asia-Pacific Economic Conference (APEC) forum on “Best Practices on Human Resource Capacity Building in Science and Mathematics Teachers Education,” signed a manifesto signifying their strong support for collaborative activities in research, linkages and exchanges, and policy development in science and math education.

Science educators from Australia, the United States, Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, China, and South Korea took part in the two-day forum held in Manila.

“The science educators said priority areas for collaborative work should include teachers’ knowledge, delivery to diverse groups of learners, professional development models, ICT (information and communications technology) integration, social and cultural dimensions, and the role of science and mathematics education for civic participation by all,” Ogena said.

Ogena said the declaration signed by the science educators would be submitted to the foreign ministers of the member-economies through the APEC Education Network as a recommendation for the improvement of their science and math teacher education.