DOST-PNRI makes nuke educational materials more accessible to high school teachers
By: Allan Mauro V. Marfal, DOST-STII
High school teachers in the country will now have better tools and gain easy access to educational materials in teaching the concept and the benefits of nuclear science and technology, particularly its positive impact on the lives of Filipinos.
The Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (DOST-PNRI), with support from the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of Education, introduced to the public their recently developed Educational Resource Materials on Nuclear Science and Technology on 06 May 2021 via Facebook Live.
The resource materials cover various topics that include the following: basics of atomic structure and radioactivity to its applications in agriculture, industry, and the environment; its potential as an energy source; and radiation safety and protection. Furthermore, these materials will encourage students to pursue careers related to nuclear science and technology.
To make learning more interesting to young students, the materials are packaged both in the booklet and video format, that will be accessible online and will later be distributed to secondary schools in the Philippines.
According to its project leader, Dr. Jasmine Angelie Albelda from DOST-PNRI, said that Educational Resource Materials on Nuclear Science and Technology has connections to competencies in the K-12 curriculum so teachers can use it to supplement teaching and can be used in any of what we called 7Es (elicit, engage, explore, explain, elaborate, extend, and evaluate) part of their lesson plan.
It consists of ten (10) booklets, namely: These Radiation Around Us, Describing Radiation, Ionizing Radiation and Matter, Careers in Nuclear Science and Technology, Nuclear Science and the Environment, Nuclear Science and the Industry, Nuclear Science and Health, Nuclear Science and Agriculture, Nuclear Science and Energy, and Nuclear Science and Disaster Preparedness. Each booklet is complemented by one animated video.
“It is important for us to understand the value of nuclear in society. The biggest obstacle to the appreciation of nuclear is ignorance of its applications. Nuclear has been beneficial to the whole world, not only in energy but also in many areas. To overcome
the huge obstacle of misunderstanding about nuclear, we need to educate people through providing reliable and accessible educational materials to our K-12 students and teachers”, said DOST-PNRI Director Carlo A. Arcilla.
Meanwhile, in his message, Department of Education (DepED) Undersecretary for Curriculum and Instruction Diosdado M. San Antonio said that the resource materials that cover topics on radiation, ionizing radiation, and careers in nuclear science and technology and its relevance to the environment, industry, health, and agriculture, and disaster preparedness compliment their effort in DepED. The learning materials also provide the cultivation of relevant information and advanced economic development and peace and order in the time of the pandemic.
“Nuclear science and technology and its related researches and services have played vital roles to improve the capability of different sectors in the country. It is very crucial, at a young age, that our Filipino students will be able to appreciate and understand it. I am very confident that these learning materials would help a lot to attain it,” said DOST Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña.
On the other hand, DOE Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi said that even in this information age, there is still a misconception when it comes to nuclear energy and utilization. To increase the public’s positive perception of nuclear science, proper education would make a huge difference, particularly if we show the young students how nuclear S&T and its application work for the people and community.
Researchers from the DOST-Philippine Nuclear Research Institute, with support from the Department of Energy and Department of Education, developed a series of educational resources for high school students. These materials, both in booklet and video format, will be accessible online and will later be distributed to secondary schools in the Philippines.
To access the recently launched “Educational Resource Materials on Nuclear Science and Technology”, the public can visit this link https://services.pnri.dost.gov.ph/nstep/ at the DOST-PNRI official website (www.pnri.dost.gov.ph).
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