My Approaches And Views On Teaching Biology

I was very passionate about science since my childhood when I was in primary school, I used to wonder about some experiments and consider them as magic tricks. Although, high school was quite easy rather than being a college student, where I required more efforts to understand science. In spite of the strong desire to learn biology, I felt most lecture in the known institutes were not ideal, where I gained most of my education. However, some lecturers at undergraduate were interesting and their teaching approach was different from others, which inspire me to do more of science. Unsolved question by lectures like “How can an animal make more antibodies than there are genes in its genome?” intensified my instinct of science.

Learning science is always fun and sharing with others excite you more. Being a Ph.D. scholar at King Abdulaziz University in the department of biology, I experienced the rigor and rewards of teaching while conducting classes. I was a teaching assistant for cell biology and molecular biology for undergraduate and graduates students in the faculty of science. I do look forward to teaching in the field of cell biology, molecular biology, immunology, and biochemistry. Due to the fact that every student learns differently, the best teacher, in my view, is one who can teach in a variety of ways.

As one who often uses physical and spatial concepts to understand science, I incorporated many visual aids in the classroom and lab to help in explaining the concepts such as Replication, Transcription, Translation and protein foldings. Course assignments often require the students to use scientific databases and software found on the internet. I encourage the use of programs such as PowerPoint for oral presentations. These varied methods approach allows individual students to experience effective learning.

Explaining students

Previously, it has been witnessed that teaching science had many discrepancies with how they do science, which creates complications in understanding science. These days exposure of science to the public is more complex and more prevalent than in past years that makes an understanding of how science is comprehended, communicated, generated and applied essentially. Being a biologist, I believe that the teacher should support and challenge three basic goals that primarily includes clearing the misconception about critical biological ideas, secondly teaching basic biological concepts and finally developing an interest in science and its understanding how we do science. The students should leave the class at least with basic biological skills that empower them to generate ideas, leading to well-considered choices.

Beyond teaching in these “classical” environments, I participated in the Science-by-Mail programs run by the Novel Global Community Educational Foundation (NGCEF), Australia. I have been one of the honorary faculty members that committed to intellectual exchange and global unity among humanity. Guiding junior scholars in empowering them for Ph.D. preparation was the main motive. NGCEF aims to initially provide worldwide Ph.D. supervision/online programs (free of tuition fee) for financially constrained students living in Third World countries. I believe that such community service activities are integral to the encouragement of future scientists. The way of my teaching philosophy is an on-going process that includes constant adaptation, refinement, and modification to incorporate new skills, information, teaching approaches and it will gain through observation and experience.

Being a Ph.D. research scholar at King Abdulaziz University I constantly observe the professor from around the world and tried to adapt the best possible things from them.