Science becomes more meaningful when students have the opportunity to move beyond theory and experience it for themselves.
Several years ago, Develop Africa distributed science equipment and educational materials to four schools in Sierra Leone through the generous support of Sharon, a retired science teacher and longtime Develop Africa supporter.
The materials included test tubes, microscopes, chemicals, Petri dishes, models, goggles, science books, charts, and other resources that teachers could use to strengthen practical science instruction.
While this distribution took place in 2019, we are sharing a newly completed video that brings together voices from the teachers and students who received the materials.
One student at Prince of Wales School explained why practical learning matters:
“Science is all about practical. We cannot just be doing theories. We need to do practicals to know exactly how these things work.”
That idea remains at the heart of this story.
When students are able to experiment, observe, measure, and work directly with scientific materials, lessons can become more than information on a page. Practical learning gives students opportunities to ask questions, test ideas, develop confidence, and better understand the concepts they are studying.
The science equipment and educational materials were distributed to:
- Freetown Secondary School for Girls
- Prince of Wales School
- El-Bethel Primary and Junior Secondary School
- Lady Patricia Kabba Junior Secondary School
We are grateful to Sharon for helping make these resources available and to the teachers who continue working to give their students stronger learning opportunities.
Watch the video and learn more about the original distribution, including photos from the four schools, on our project page.
View the full story and photos: https://www.developafrica.org/beyond-the-textbook-bringing-practical-science-to-students-in-sierra-leone
