The Natural Sciences and Science Education Academic Group integrates several science content and pedagogical disciplines with a strong multidisciplinary approach to teaching and research. With this integration, disciplinary barriers between the sciences and related pedagogies are removed to pave the way for greater interaction and teamwork among academics and students alike. The Group comprises academics in the fields of Biological sciences, Chemistry, Physics, Science Education, Design & Technology Education and Family Consumer Science Education.
We offer undergraduate degree courses, graduate degrees by research, academic subjects, curriculum content courses and curriculum studies courses in the diploma and postgraduate diploma programmes, as well as advanced diploma and professional development courses. Our Group is committed to improving the overall education of teachers through meaningful inquiry and innovative change in both content and pedagogical knowledge. This is accomplished by working with teachers to develop models of creative teaching and new approaches to learning.
Research by biologists, chemists and physicists in the Group is centred on many areas of current cutting-edge science such as agrobiotechnology, plasma physics and, chemical synthesis and materials science while the science educationists focus mainly on maximising the potential of every child with research on students' learning approaches, problem-solving skills. There is also a focused research in developing new pedagogies in the teaching of the new sciences such as molecular biology and nanosciences.