Health Exchange

Research institutes, with their community of health and research professionals, hold a largely untapped potential to enrich school-science, demystify health research in the communities in which they work, and encourage future generations of scientists and health workers.

Alun Davies, Bibi Mbete, Dickson Ole Keis, and Samson Kinyanjui report on a new project in Kenya to bring health research to pupils.

The KEMRI-Wellcome Trust programme (KEMRI-WTP) in Kilifi, Kenya hosts a large number of multidisciplinary researchers from Kenya, East Africa, and other countries worldwide and is internationally renowned for its contribution to global health research. Despite this, knowledge of science and research in Kilifi district itself is limited, in part due to poor access to educational and health resources.

To address this deficiency, in September 2008 we piloted a schools engagement programme in collaboration with the District Education Office, head-teachers and science teachers of three secondary schools in Kilifi. The aim of the pilot was to determine, through experience, the best approaches for engagement between the research centre and schools, and secondly to see if the interventions would affect attitudes toward science education, KEMRI-WTP activities and health research in general, in the target schools. The interventions included:

1. Visits to KEMRI-WTP research facilities by students and teachers who engaged in interactive learning activities with scientists and health workers.
2. A student’s competition, where students presented songs, dramas and presentations about health, research and science topics
3. Scientist/health worker visits to schools to give short talks about careers and health.
4. Provision of science teaching aids, including textbooks, subscription to ‘Scientific American’ (http://www.scientificamerican.com/), a laptop computer and a projector.
5. Making of a virtual tour of KEMRI-WTP centre film by students and KEMRI staff for use with broader audiences.

Initially some teachers and parents expressed concerns that students would be used as ‘guinea pigs for experiments’ or that the activities would not be of educational value. However, through a series of meetings in which the teachers contributed to the development of the interventions, we were able to achieve their buy-in.

Following the intervention, both students and teachers expressed a better understanding of KEMRI-WTP activities and of health research in general. Some students described challenging the rumours and misconceptions concerning research they encountered in the community.

“[Friends] said that [KEMRI’s] a devil worshipping organisation. I said ‘No, I have never heard of that. What I know is KEMRI does research.’ Some accepted what I told them and others didn’t.”
(Male, form 3 student)

The students’ attitudes towards science also improved. They felt that seeing science being applied in day-to-day lives made them understand it better and hence they enjoyed learning it more.

“We saw carbon dioxide…in solid form which we only read in the books. It also broke the monotony of sitting in the class just reading. We saw it in real life situation whereas in class you just cram the things, not knowing what they really look like.”
(Female, form 2 student)

The teachers reported that learning about potential careers in research, motivated the students to work harder in science, to respond to questions more confidently and to achieve better test grades. In two schools the students became more likely to pursue biology as a subject option.

“When they came out of there, … [students] would say ’I want to work at KEMRI and if you work at KEMRI, you will not work there if you get a D +.’ … They have now gotten the urge to work hard in sciences.”
(Male biology teacher)

The value of young local scientists as role models for students, and in motivating the students to believe that despite difficult circumstances it is possible to succeed in pursuing science-related, careers was highlighted.

The pilot indicates that it is possible to exploit the resources available at KEMRI-WTP to improve science education in schools in Kilifi district. As such, we plan to scale up this programme to all schools in the district over the next five years, and subsequently beyond Kilifi district. We also plan to conduct operational research during the scale-up in order to document best practice.

Although the participating scientists and teachers were very enthusiastic about continuing the collaboration, maintaining their interest, and that of future participant researchers in the long term, will be a challenge. The pilot was funded by the Wellcome Trust (UK), and further funds are being sought for implementation at district level. Support from the government through the district’s education office was essential for the success of the pilot phase. We hope and anticipate that it will continue throughout the scale-up.

“I felt it was a very noble cause for the situation … at least something is happening that may be help the larger community, rather than our focus on participants in research.”
(Male participating scientist)

Taking health research and scientific knowledge and practice into schools has clear motivational and educational benefits. It also helps raise awareness about health issues and promotes positive healthy behaviour, both directly and indirectly.

Alun Davies KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
Bibi Mbete KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
Dickson Ole Keis – Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Kenya
Samson Kinyanjui – KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Programme, Kilifi, Kenya

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Filed under: Public engagement in health research Tagged: | education, health research, school children, scientists