Creativity and innovation in science and technology

Abstract

Purpose – This paper stems from a study which was conducted as a means to first, find out whether there is a gap between the secondary and tertiary education levels, second identify any existing gap in Science and Technology education, and third, examine the impact of the above upon students’ creativity and innovativeness at university level. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – As such, a group of teachers and students at both secondary and tertiary levels were selected as the sample of the study. Questionnaires were administered to trained secondary school teachers and to university students. Interviews were also conducted to triangulate data. These enabled an analysis of the current situation in terms of students’ engagement/creativity/innovativeness in Science and Technology at secondary and tertiary levels. Findings – The findings reveal a problematic situation arising with respect to beliefs and what truly prevails in the education sector at secondary and tertiary levels. This study has revealed a number of salient issues related to the gap existing between the secondary and tertiary levels of education in Mauritius, with special bearing on creativity and innovation in Science and Technology. Research limitations/implications – Only three institutions were involved, with a small sample of students, so that the findings cannot be generalised. Moreover, gender is a variable that has not been taken into consideration. Practical implications – The study has proposed a number of recommendations to enable Mauritian students (at secondary and tertiary levels) to develop creativity and hopefully become innovators. This leads us to believe that the recommendations emerging from this study will be beneficial to various stakeholders who wish to understand the gap existing between secondary and tertiary education in Science and Technology education. Originality/value – This study takes a case study approach adopting a mixture of interviews, surveys and observations to understand the research problems with regards to the younger generations need to be equipped with scientific and technological advances in acquiring knowledge, new sets of skills and values. Therefore, this study endeavours to document the perceptions of learners and faculty staff.

Educational innovation practices in primary and secondary schools during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…2.2 Online teaching and learning practices in schools Through experiencing online teaching/learning during the pandemic, the education system has realized the major role that technology can play in the learning process. It should be adapted in order to meet the needs of the tech-savvy generation, extensively using online teaching and learning practices (Ramma et al, 2015). Online teaching uses emerging information and communication technology (internet-based) to help students learn anytime and anywhere, reinforcing 24/7 access to education (Almahasees and Qassem, 2021).…”

“…Through experiencing online teaching/learning during the pandemic, the education system has realized the major role that technology can play in the learning process. It should be adapted in order to meet the needs of the tech-savvy generation, extensively using online teaching and learning practices (Ramma et al. , 2015).…”

Enhancing Students' Communication and STEM Reasoning Abilities Based on Gender Through Application of IT-based Chemistry Teaching Materials

“…Chemistry learning, in particular, needs learning media and resources that would visualize abstract concepts to be easily understood by the students. So far, technology has been used more as a medium of communication than as a medium of learning (Ramma et al, 2015). Communication skills consisting of three indicators that are measured based on three criteria, namely the ability to communicate verbally, the ability to communicate in writing, and the ability to communicate socially.…”

“…Chemistry learning, in particular, needs learning media and resources that would visualize abstract concepts to be easily understood by the students. So far, technology has been used more as a medium of communication than as a medium of learning (Ramma et al, 2015). For this reason, to make a difference, technology must be used extensively as a pedagogic means in teaching and learning activities as both media and teaching materials (Strayer, 2012).…”

Science Learning in the Context of 'Indigenous Knowledge' for Sustainable Development

“…Mastery in content, pedagogical, and contentpedagogical knowledge plays a significant role in knowledge acquisition, emphasizing cognitive, affective, and motivational domains (Angeli & Valanides 2009;Autio 2011;O'Keefe & Linnenbrink-Garcia 2014). Integrating technology with these knowledge aspects has been shown to enhance learning outcomes (Ramma, Samy, & Gopee 2015). Effective pedagogical strategies, such as exploratory learning models, are essential for facilitating knowledge transfer and achieving learning goals (Arends, 2012), with research indicating that inquirybased exploratory learning enhances higher-order thinking skills (Azizmalayeri et al, 2012;Cleovoulou & Beach, 2019;Duran & Dökme, 2016), and is particularly impactful when connected to Indigenous Knowledge contexts (Zidny et al, 2020(Zidny et al, , 2020(Zidny et al, , 2023.…”