Mr Wong Shek Nin (11 to 22 July 2016)

AST’s 20th OEIR

Mr Wong Shek Nin is the Head of Department for Physics at Aberdeen Technical School in Hong Kong. As an advocate of scientific literacy, his work focuses on supporting science teachers involved in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education which aims to enhance the innovative and technological skills in students of Hong Kong. He received several awards, notably the “Chief Executive’s Award for Teaching Excellence” in 2006 and the “Excellent Teacher in Science and Technology” in the 10th Hong Kong Youth Science and Technology Innovation Competition 2007.

Mr Wong interacting with students at Fuhua Secondary School

During Mr Wong’s stint with AST, he conducted four Master Classes to over 150 science teachers. Through the use of engaging science learning activities, he shared with the teachers and key personnel from schools how to facilitate self-directed learning amongst students and how teachers can create space and time for the development of students’ critical thinking and problem-solving ability.

Mr Wong guiding the Master Class participants through the open-source Arduino platform

During the Master Classes on making Physics fun, relevant, and useful, Mr Wong focused on the use of his teaching aids such as the open-source Arduino platform, the Solar Cooker set, and the Little Inventors toys to nurture students’ science process skills, and to stimulate students to construct and to apply the scientific knowledge that they have acquired.

The Master Classes focused on how teachers could create learning opportunities for students to appreciate science and to help them learn it in fun and interesting ways. Through this sharing, Mr Wong also impressed upon our teachers the ways in which he motivated low-progress learners and how these students could achieve success when the teacher inspired and instilled in them the love for learning.

Participants assembling the Solar Cooker during the Master Class at Christ Church Secondary School

In addition, Mr Wong visited four schools: Kranji Secondary School, Christ Church Secondary School, Fuhua Secondary School, and Tanjong Katong Girls’ School, where he observed how physics was taught in the Singapore context. He provided feedback on the lessons that he observed, and also had the opportunity to use inquiry-based learning to teach a class of local students. Mr Wong encouraged teachers to be enablers of experiential learning where their students could learn scientific knowledge through the ‘doing’ of science. He also had a chance to learn from our teachers about how ICT could support the learning of science.

Mr Wong discussing with a group of students during a lesson observation at Tanjong Katong Girls’ School

Mr Wong believes that teachers play an important role to help students learn through productive failure in the learning of science. To do this, teachers must be able to create authentic experiences to provide students with opportunities to explore and to appreciate science. Mr Wong was very generous in sharing his resources and teaching ideas with our teachers during his two-week stint. Our teachers and officers are truly appreciative that they have had the pleasure of interacting with him through this OEIR programme.