Nurturing creativity, honing scientific research skills start in school — educators

AMMAN — Encouraging innovation and scientific research at schools is key to supplying universities with competent students, according to educators.

“Universities count on school education and the skills it provides students with, including communication, analytical and creative thinking skills as well as techniques of conducting research,” University of Jordan (UJ) Vice President Azmi Mahafzah said Tuesday at a UJ event to honour winners of a science competition for schoolchildren.

He cited continuity as a fundamental feature of the educational process, calling for further encouragement of creativity and innovation at the Kingdom’s schools, which are “rich with potential”.

Amal Aboudi, head of the competition’s preparatory committee, highlighted investment in education as the basis for a nation’s renaissance, noting that human knowledge doubles every three years.

Increasing budget allocations for education is important, but it is not the only solution, she said, as educational policies and social awareness of the value of education and educators also matter.

Aboudi, who is also an instructor at UJ’s science faculty, called for providing teachers with standardised guides that help them in their job, underscoring the need for regular evaluation.

The competition was aimed at honing scientific research skills of students between the ages of 10 and 17 in biology and health, chemistry and environment, physics and engineering, and geology and astronomy, according to Soraya Ayyad, president of Innovation for Creativity Development, the competition’s organiser.

Ayyad said 110 teams of students in from 11 educational directorates signed up for the competition, while only 46 qualified to the final phase. 

“We call for further incorporation of creativity-stimulating teaching methodologies in official school curricula,” she said, highlighting the significance of further cooperation among all national entities working to enhance creativity and innovation.