Building educator confidence in science practicals during a teacher professional development workshop

NRF-SAASTA joined forces with NRF-iThemba Labs and the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) to bring together 17 Grade 4 to 6 Natural Sciences and Technology educators for an Energy and Change Teacher Professional Development (TPD) Workshop on 19 September 2026.

Hosted and facilitated by NRF-iThemba Labs, the workshop focused on strengthening practical approaches to teaching the Energy and Change element of the Grade 4 to 6 Natural Sciences and Technology curriculum.

The programme combined curriculum-linked content with hands-on experimentation, giving educators an opportunity to explore science concepts through building, testing, observation and discussion. Practical activities included constructing electrical circuits, comparing potatoes and lemons as electrochemical cells, exploring electrostatic charge using a Van de Graaff generator, and participating in a gamified teaching activity designed to demonstrate an interactive approach to science learning.

The latter proved to be a highlight for the educators, many of whom were introduced to the concept of gamification in the classroom for the first time. The activity, called “Who will wear the Crown?”, was a practical demonstration of game-based approaches to teaching science. By participating in the activity themselves, educators experienced the approach from a learner’s perspective, realising first-hand how interactive activities can be used to reinforce science concepts and encourage classroom participation.

Another key practical component of the workshop focused on the construction and testing of electrical circuits. Educators worked with circuit boards, cells, connecting wires, light bulbs and switches to construct and test simple circuits.

Educators also investigated the use of potatoes and lemons as electrochemical cells, using everyday materials to explore the generation of electrical energy. Participants compared the two materials and investigated how changing the number of cells connected in a circuit affected the electrical output. The activity provided an opportunity to discuss the relationship between current and resistance, while encouraging educators to observe, compare and interpret the results of the investigation. Using familiar materials such as potatoes and lemons also demonstrated how everyday resources can be used to introduce scientific concepts and support practical investigations in the classroom.

The combination of gamified learning, circuit construction, electrochemical investigations and electrostatics highlighted the value of giving learners opportunities to build, test, observe and discuss scientific concepts rather than relying solely on theoretical explanations. It also demonstrated how both specialised equipment and everyday materials can be incorporated into practical science teaching.

Through the hands-on sessions at iThemba LABS, educators engaged with the content from both a scientific and teaching perspective, while considering how practical activities could be adapted for Grade 4 to 6 Natural Sciences and Technology classrooms.

NRF-SAASTA and its partners continue to support practical approaches to science teaching and strengthen the connection between curriculum content and classroom-based experimentation.