News & Event

This morning (Sunday), The Sultanate of Oman, represented by the Ministry of Education, is hosting the “Regional Workshop on Best Practices for Teaching Nuclear Science and Technology at Secondary Level,” organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), from October 29 to November 2, 2023. A number of 81 participants from 22 countries are participating in the workshop which is taking place at the Millennium Hotel Muscat.

The workshop aims to present and discuss effective practices in secondary education programs that include nuclear science and technology, share experiences on enhancing science teachers’ understanding in the Asia-Pacific region about the themes of peaceful nuclear science and technology, and develop attractive and interesting teaching methods related to teaching this type of science and transferring them to students through practical and effective processes. Moreover, it will focus on various applications and uses of peaceful nuclear technology in different life aspects and highlight its importance and the scientific specializations associated with it.

The workshop is accompanied by an exhibition that includes 16 scientific posters showing the experiences of the participating countries regarding the best practices for teaching nuclear science and technology at the secondary level. The agenda of workshop includes a review of current development in nuclear science and technology education at the secondary level in countries located in Asia and Pacific region, views of member states on the strategic partnership to support good governance, and roles of concerned parties in supporting nuclear science and technology education. It also includes discussions on strategic partnership related to exchanging experiences and challenges faced by project partners, teachers, and institutional representatives and exploring opportunities for cooperation and support to promote nuclear science and technology education.

The second theme of the Regional Workshop addresses curricula for teaching peaceful nuclear sciences, as it includes a presentation of methods for linking the teaching of peaceful nuclear sciences to school curricula: such as the experiences of member states, as well as monitoring and evaluation of methods for presenting

content in schools. The third theme addresses the teaching strategies used in teaching peaceful nuclear sciences and technology to secondary school students and learning tools and methods to facilitate learning for this type of science. It also includes a presentation of the experiences of some countries, such as Japan, in innovative online learning, and a review of teaching methods and approaches from some participating countries, including the experience of the Sultanate of Oman, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, Sri Lanka, the Syrian Arab Republic, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, Philippines and others.

The fourth theme of this workshop includes an evaluation of the progress and achievements made in teaching peaceful nuclear science and technology to secondary school students, a review of other activities accompanying the curricula outside and inside school, and a presentation of the experiences of some participants in learning peaceful nuclear science to secondary school students. It also includes simultaneous demonstrative presentations. The first discusses linking the teaching of peaceful nuclear science and technology to the curricula, co-curricular activities, and extra-curricular activities. The second presentation discusses teaching and learning strategies. The third presentation discusses methods of monitoring and evaluating the extent of progress achieved in teaching peaceful nuclear science and technology to secondary school students.

The fifth and final theme of the regional workshop is devoted to discussing the mechanism of action to contribute to achieving the goal of reaching (10) million school students in the countries of the region and approving the strategy for building teachers’ skills in order to facilitate learning on topics of peaceful nuclear science in a sustainable manner. The regional workshop will conclude with presenting and reviewing observations and recommendations.

It is noteworthy that the Sultanate of Oman organized the regional technical cooperation project on teaching peaceful nuclear science and technology to school students in the year 2018, participated in organizing many programs and events at the national level, and groups of teachers and supervisors also participated in many events and programs that were held at the regional and international level. Likewise, schools in educational directorates in all governorates implement qualitative enrichment programs in teaching peaceful nuclear science and technology to school students, at the hands of specialized teachers throughout the academic year, in order to highlight these sciences and their applications in various fields such as agriculture, industry, medicine, environment, and others. Constructive cooperation between Al Batinah Power Company and Al Suwadi Power Company with the Ministry of

Education has contributed in implementing peaceful nuclear science and technology programs leading to achieving the project’s objectives at the national level.