About This Project

STEM education in French-speaking Africa is confronted with the unavailability of equipment for practical experience. In collaboration with high school teachers, our action research project aims to introduce Foloscope into science classes and measure its impact on student's academic performance. This will enable us to formulate public policy recommendations on the adoption of low-cost tools to accelerate the improvement of science education in poor countries.

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

Improving human capital in Africa is the ultimate goal for driving sustainable change on this continent, which faces many challenges. But the quality of education is still a big challenge, because in African countries the majority of students study biology and chemistry theoretically, without ever doing any laboratory work until they graduate. In such a situation, the objective of education and, by extension, of science, which is to equip citizens with the skills needed to meet the challenges and solve problems of everyday life, cannot be achieved in Africa. In the context of scarce resources allocated to education, frugal innovations like Foloscope can have a significant impact.

What is the significance of this project?

To prevent the next generation of African students from receiving low-quality training that will hinder the development of their scientific creativity, it is essential to find low-cost solutions that come from frugal innovation to equip classrooms with minimal materials.

Foldscope is a portable, low-cost microscope that can be assembled from a flat sheet of paper. It offers high-resolution magnification and imaging capabilities, making it a valuable tool for scientific exploration and education. it could enable individuals, especially in resource-limited areas, to access microscopy and engage in scientific inquiry.

How does the introduction of a Foloscope contribute to enhance students' understanding and engagement with scientific concepts in African high schools?

What are the goals of the project?

The goal of this research is to investigate the impact of integrating Foldscope as a teaching tool in science education in African schools on students' learning outcomes and interest in science. The study will be conducted as a quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test design with a control group, by deploying 100 kits in 20 experimental science classes.

Pre- and post-tests will be administered to both experimental and control groups to assess students' knowledge and understanding of scientific concepts. Surveys will be conducted to gather data on student's interests and motivation in science. The outcomes of interest include students' academic performance, understanding of scientific concepts, interest in science, and motivation to pursue STEM fields.