Thai Educators to visit campus for science-education ideas

A delegation of ten educators from Thailand will visit Wisconsin from May 23 to June 3 to lay the groundwork for a long-term partnership with UW–Madison to improve Thai science education.

The trip will include visits to schools in Madison, Fond du Lac and northern Wisconsin so that officials can observe American science classes and meet with teachers.

“The objective of this visit is to create a road map for the next five to ten years,” explains Kevin Niemi, an outreach program manager with the Center for Biology Education. “With an action plan in place, we can work to secure funding from the Thai government for workshops, exchanges and other professional development activities.”

The Center for Biology Education is partnering with the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and the School of Education, involving university faculty and staff in K-12 science education outreach. While much of the center’s work focuses on American teachers and students, the Thai project emerged from Chancellor John D. Wiley’s Asian Partnership Initiative.

“We’re exploring how to support Thai efforts to introduce a more inquiry-based approach using the scientific process as a teaching tool,” explains Niemi, who held teacher workshops during two month-long trips to Thailand. “Improving science education is crucial as Thailand transitions to a technology-driven economy. There’s a need to improve general science literacy.”

The university has memoranda of understanding for educational and scientific exchange with two Thai universities, which have led to workshops and opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students to visit between the two countries. However, Niemi says that the goal of the upcoming trip is to broaden the impact of the existing agreements.

“We want to expose the delegation to U.S.-style teacher professional development,” he says. “To that end, we will engage them as learners in professional development workshops on inquiry-based science units, have faculty from the School of Education present ongoing research projects in professional development for teachers, and also visit several schools across the state to observe classrooms and talk with teachers and school leaders.”

Niemi says that the group is tentatively scheduled to visit Mendota Elementary School in Madison and meet with staff for the Earth partnership program for teachers at the UW–Madison Arboretum on May 27; Conserve School, a private high school in Land O’ Lakes, on May 29 -30; and schools in Fond du Lac on June 1. There will also be other visits to Madison-area schools.

Reporters wishing to visit classrooms during the Thai delegation visits may contact Nieme at (608) 262-5480, kjniemi@wisc.edu.