Reflection of Trainee Scientist In School Project

Cell and Developmental Biology(BSM3101) fieldwork project named “Trainee Scientist in School” was successfully held on 5 November 2015 at Sek. Keb. Taman Universiti, Sri Kembangan, Selangor. For this project, BSM3101 students will be divided into six groups and each group comprises of six students. We have to engaging with the standard five primary students (approximately 300 pupils) of Sekolah Kebangsaan Taman Universiti (SKTU), Seri Kembangan, Selangor. The aim of the project is to promote science to primary school students. My team members will explain to the primary school students concept and principles of our chosen topic that related to the Cell and Developmental Biology course and engage them with some hands on activity. Primary students participating in this activity will be evaluated on their understanding of the topic using rubrics and their perception of school science by survey and interviews.

My group had chosen the topic about Bacteria and Virus. So, one of the objectives of our project topic is to collaborate and develop a meaningful service project, design teaching approaches related to bacteria and virus, teach other about bacteria and virus, inspire and motivate pupils in learning science, engage and contribute to the community and also act as mentors. For the pupils especially the students of SKTU, my group aimed to make them understands the concept of bacteria and viruses. Last but not least, to give them a simply brief explanation about bacteria cell and viruses with their functions.

On the day and place of the incident, our booth have set with three section which is section one were about the short briefing information and introduction with an addition of videos about what is bacteria and virus and also everyday application on where and when the bacteria and virus present that they even don’t know. But before we give then a short briefing information and introduction about bacteria and virus, we gave them a pre-questionnaire test their knowledge. For the example, we gave them know that virus is not categorized as a living thing and bacteria is living thing.

We also let them know that not all bacteria is good for us and to prove that, we already put some food that contain and used bacteria in it such as Yogurt, cheese, Yakult and “tempe”. This all food containing good bacteria for human to eat. As the bad bacteria , we told them where food that already expired have bad bacteria that will bring them a diseases such as food poisoning. As the everyday application in their life, we prepared them an example of where and when bacteria present. For an example bacteria were more in the smartphone screen touch than in the toilet holder. As the result of the pre-questionnaire, all of them have heard about bacteria and virus. There is a question about virus asked them if virus categorized as a living thing or not. But only seventeen over hundred and five answered that the virus is not categorized as a living thing that was not right. But most of them knew that virus is not good for human especially. For the bacteria, most of them answer it right where the bacteria is categorized as a living thing.

Next section which is section two was about model of bacteria cell and viruses with their basic structure and functions. At this time, we gave them know about how bacteria and virus looks like. Firstly, bacteria is categorized living thing and virus is not categorized as living thing. Secondly, size of bacteria is much more bigger than virus. Thirdly, bacteria is a prokaryotes. Fourthly, basic structure of bacteria and virus and some of the important function. Last but not least, types of bacteria in different types of places and things such as on remote control, smartphone touch screen, towel, earphone and other that that. So, before they get going in the last section which is section three, we gave them an activity of labelling the model of bacteria and virus on the model prepared in front of them. For the last section, this section was much more powerful enough from us promoted and make them attracted to study further for science. In this section, our group introduce them to an experiment activity on how to look bacteria under a microscope from food that contain bacteria. So, basically before doing some experiment we need to wear lab coat for our safety and we gave them an opportunity to wear and feel how was lab coat feels like. We have provided six lab coat for the students. With my team member guide, this experiment conducted start with preparing bacteria slide from Yogurt on the glass slide, putting a cover slip and then put it on the microscope for those who wearing the lab coat. But we already prepared four microscope with different bacteria including Lactobacillus s., E.coli and others so all of them can observe and take a look of all bacteria prepared in front of them. In addition, we also already prepared agar media for each group that come to our booth for them to take a result of bacteria present on theirs finger and passed it to their science teacher.

Last but not least, post-questionnaire were passed to each of them to collect the results of our presentation to check weather they did understand what was our group talk about and introduced to them.

At the end of this project, we sure that the student should be able to explain on what is bacteria and virus and explain about beneficial and non-beneficial of bacteria and viruses. As the full results of this project, we were confident enough that we had reached the learning goals for the primary students. We were able to collaborate and develop a meaningful service project at the school also for our BSM3101 course. Moe than that, we were also able to design teaching approaches to teach the primary students as we have lowered the level as low as possible and make the information as simple as possible so the primary students can understand the basic information of bacteria and virus in just 15 minutes . This is proved on the results of post-questionnaire where almost 81% of the students answered this topic correctly. We also had inspired and motivated the students in learning science as we did hands-on activities and saw they were so interested and happy on doing it. They were very to put on the lab coat and straightly said that they are scientist and professor. Other that, we also had engaged and contributed ourselves to the community even they are even just a kids but they also determine the future of the country. It was really amazed to communicate with the kids to change their way of thinking towards something. For the pupils, they had reached the objectives because they are able to understand what we’re explaining to them and the questionnaire also told them the same thing as we’ve told them where a lot of them that make some mistakes in the pre-questionnaire can answered post-questionnaire questions.

The preparation of the project was done in group where we have seven people in group. The first meeting was held in Serumpun College’s cafe. This is because four of them staying in Serumpun College and three of us staying at Thirteen College. So we arrange the places for our meeting and we were agreed to met at Serumpun for the first meeting and for the next time in Thirteen college. In the first meeting, we’ve discussed on the what we have to do and prepared the idea also with proposal for our project title including activities such as experiment, model of bacteria and virus, questionnaire, thing to buy and also materials and apparatus for presenting the idea for clearly understanding such as video and else. At the same time we’ve set a date to buy things we needed. There is also a person who in charge in lab or experiment activities such as making a agar media for bacteria culture and this was really awesomely great for us. We went to buy things we need together because maybe each of us had came with different idea on preparing the project including the creativity. There were group who preparing for the model of bacteria and viruses, making simple videos of bacteria and viruses, collecting basic important informations, preparing the proposal, making pre and post-questionnaire and not forgot preparing types of activities including labeling model and also simple experiment. So the second meeting was held in Thirteen college where we have 70% ready for the project presentation on the day of the incident. In this second meeting, each of us presenting the things that we did it along the time we have to preparing all things we need. At that time we were also asked by Dr. Parameswari to make a mock video for our flow of presentation to the primary schools and it goes good where we did the video and presenting each of the sections we planning eventhough in the video was not really complete with material and apparatus we supposed to have in front of us but it went clearly for the Dr. Parames to understand and imagine on how we prepared for the project on the day of incident.

If I have a second chance to undertook the project again, the idea that I would do differently is the information we give to the primary students especially in the section one and section two where some of us giving an information more than the simple information and introduction to bacteria and viruses. The informations must be told accordingly to the questionnaire prepared. As we’ve been given only 15 minutes to presenting this topic, it affect to the time for the next group. For an example, when section one takes much time, so the next section will not enough of time to describes and teach their section and this will makes the primary student don’t get enough of information as well as not attracted to the topic presented. But this happen not until the end of the project, we did take a minutes to arranged and discussed on time management and information to taught them. Thank God it went clearly and smooth as Dr. Parames told us at the end of the project.

As my personal aspects in this project, I have got many new experiences where this project was very useful for community especially primary schools. This is because as we’ve promoted and presented science among primary students, unofficially I did collaborated and developed a meaningful service project, design teaching approaches related to bacteria and virus, taught others about bacteria and virus, inspired and motivated pupils in learning science, engaged and contributed to the community and also act as mentors. Other that, from the primary students audience, I had learned that the student likes something new in their life especially something that attract them to want to know more about something. In addition, this primary students can learned and remember much more fast because of their desire of want to know something. This what specials about the kids nowadays where this is the perfect time to promote and teach them about science so they can get attracted to science especially. Along this project, I was really thankful to Dr. Parameswari because she gave us a chance to did this kind of project especially to the primary students because this primary students always love to study something new especially about science that they don’t even know. This primary students also love an activities to attend which can directly attract them more on science.

They were really happy and enjoy studying science especially about Bacteria and Viruses. Not only that, I was really amazed me when other students other that standard five such as standard four and others also attracted to this science project where they kindly come and see our booth. From this obtainable experiences project, I also get much more information about bacteria and viruses as well as I can officially remembered what is bacteria and viruses also the beneficial and non-beneficial of bacteria and viruses in our daily life. Pictures attached was some of the evidence that the student has put their significant effort into thinking about all on what me and my group had taught them.

Above picture was one of the primary student answers on pre-questionnaire and post-questionnaire questions for the project of our group topic which is Bacteria and Viruses.

At the end of this project, the student be able to explain what is bacteria and virus based on the what we had shown and taught them. Not only that , the student also able to explained on beneficial and non-beneficial of bacteria and virus especially on our daily life. For us, we can determined and remembered clearly what is bacteria and virus with their basic structures along together with their functions.

As a conclusions, this type of project should be carry on for the next generation because it is really helpful for us to promote science among primary schools as well as attract them to take science as their main stream of studying for the next generations. Thanks to PM Dr. Parameswari and Dr. Nik as our coordinator for this BSM3101 course in UPM on this opportunity that she gave us.

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